Songs of praise for St Ultan’s Super Senior Strings after reaching Walton’s music final
By Maurice Garvey
A FUNKY orchestra ensemble from St Ultan’s Primary School in Cherry Orchard, have qualified for a nationals schools music competition.
St Ultan’s Super Senior Strings entered the ‘Walton’s Music For Schools’ competition, and were one of six primary school finalists announced on RTE’s Lyric FM on April 16.
Michelle Woods, St Ultan’s music administrator said: “We are delighted. Our orchestra will travel to Limerick on May 10, to perform in the University Concert Hall in the final.
“It is the first time our orchestra has been so successful in a competition, and the whole Cherry Orchard community is rallying behind us.”
The Ballyfermot school provide an innovative music programme in the style of El Sistema in Venezuela – using music as a vehicle to improve lifelong outcomes for students.
From Senior Infants to Fourth Class, every student learns violin free of charge. From Fourth Class upwards some students change to viola, cello and double bass, as well as brass, wind and percussion instruments.
St Ultan’s also provide an after‐school arts programme for students in visual arts, dance and drama, and it is introducing parent and baby music classes, pre-school music classes, and a pre-instrumental music programme for Junior and Senior Infants.
The school would use competition prize funds to purchase string, brass, wind and percussion instruments.
Their entry is Uptown Funk, performed by the 39-strong St Ultan’s Super Senior Strings – which contains students from Third to Sixth Class.
