Ballard School musicians spread joy to their neighbourhoods with musical performances

Pupils at Ballard School have taken to their front gardens to bring some joy to their neighbours with musical performances during the Coronavirus lockdown.

Three pupils of the independent school in New Milton, Hampshire, turned their streets into stages by sharing their musical talents with their neighbours, while still abiding by social distancing restrictions.

Performing arts scholar and Deputy Head Girl, Millie Sandford, in Year 11, delivered a selection of her favourite songs from the front garden of her Everton home, including a beautiful performance of the theme from The Sound of Music.

Millie, 16, who played the lead role of Belle in the school’s 2019 summer production of Beauty and the Beast and more recently played Kathy in the school’s spectacular Singin’ in the Rain production, set up a microphone and speaker in her sunny front garden to serenade her neighbours on Saturday 18 April – some of whom pulled garden furniture into their driveways to enjoy the talented teen’s performance.

While Bert Newitt-Regan, age 11, in Year 6, delighted his neighbours in New Milton with his rendition of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ on his trombone, which he played during the Thursday evening ‘clap for carers’ on 16 April – contributing his tuneful addition to the ebullient shows of appreciation of his neighbours.

And Ben Clark in Year 7, who is nearly 12, has been playing his trumpet three times a week along with other children in his street in Hordle, together raising more than £100 so far for Lymington Hospital and Oakhaven Hospice. They played ‘Happy Birthday’ for Colonel Tom on his 100th Birthday, and are planning a special performance for VE day on Friday.

The pupils are shining examples of Ballard’s thriving musical tradition, nurtured by the school’s award-winning music department, which includes 14 peripatetic teachers.

Victoria Gray, Director of Performing Arts at Ballard School, said: “Music is a huge part of life at Ballard, so I am very proud to see so many pupils’ continuing their commitment to singing and mastering musical instruments, despite being away from school. I was especially pleased to learn of Millie, Bert and Ben sharing their talents and spreading a little joy in the process.”

Andrew McCleave, Headmaster at Ballard School, said: “We might not be able to spend time with our friends and neighbours as we normally would right now, but we can still connect with them, and music is a wonderful way of doing that as these pupils have demonstrated. I applaud their generosity of spirit as well as their excellent performances, and look forward to seeing them all back on the school stage as soon as is safely possible.”

The students will also be taking part in Ballard School’s virtual choir, in which members of the Ballard community - pupils, staff, families and alumni - record themselves singing a section of Fly to Paradise by Eric Whitacre. All the recordings will then be edited to create one piece of music.

Ballard School is an award-winning, independent, co-educational day school for children aged 2-16. For more information, please visit www.ballardschool.co.uk.