On Thursday 11th December, as part of their cultural curriculum, 163 year 8 walked to St Catherine’s church, where they were accompanied by parents and carers, to celebrate a Midwinter concert. We were given a very warm welcome by the members of the church, who were so pleased to see the church packed full of young people.

Dr Speller started the concert off, reminding us about the importance of community and the support that we can give to each other at this time of year. We are so lucky to have such a talented choir and soloists, who brought a really sense of awe and wonder to the concert. A special mention must also go to James, who played a lovely rendition of “Walking in the air”.

The readings and reflections in the service reminded us about the need to pause at this time of year and to reconnect with what truly matters – the love that we can all show to each other, building bridges between individuals, cultures and communities. It also gives us time to think about those who may feel alone, afraid or not part of our communities. It is not only those who are dear to us, who we need to show love to, but those who we need to welcome in from the cold. Rev Dan also gave us a lively talk about the religious meaning of Christmas, and kept us on our toes by interspersing it with lyrics from songs, that we had to recognise!

We want to thank everyone who worked hard to make this event happen, on the day and with the meticulous planning and preparation. Hopefully this will now become one of our cultural traditions, as St Catherine’s have said that they would love to welcome us back next year.