A Mansfield academy was alive with the sound of classical music when students were joined by the National Youth Orchestra in a scheme designed to introduce classical music to school age children.

The visit from the 70-piece orchestra was part of the NYO Play the School scheme, aimed at continuing a mission to give inspiring musical experiences to teenagers across the UK.

The orchestra regularly takes orchestral music out of the concert hall to secondary schools and during 2019 is touring 10 secondary schools across the country, with Queen Elizabeth’s Academy, part of Diverse Academies, one of the host academies.

The day included workshops, an introduction to the sights and sounds of each instrument in the orchestra curated by NYO musicians, musical flashmobs going into academy classrooms, and a large-scale symphonic performance from Prokofiev’s famous Romeo and Juliet.

Ellie, a year 11 student, said: “The music was incredibly powerful and moving. I haven’t heard anything like it before — their performance was the best music I have experienced and the hairs are still standing up on my neck!”

Academy principal Kimberley Willmot added: “We would like to thank the National Youth Orchestra for a brilliant interactive and inspirational day.

“To hear such talented young musicians play in our academy was a joy and a privilege, and we hope that it will inspire some of our students to want to pick up an instrument and learn to play.”

As part of the mission to inspire younger children to get into music, Queen Elizabeth’s invited pupils from Wainwright Primary Academy, Mansfield, and Samuel Barlow Primary Academy, Clipstone, to join the workshops.

Some of those pupils were also given the experience of helping to conduct the orchestra.

ABOVE: Queen Elizabeth’s Academy students and National Youth Orchestra musicians.