Importantly, this joyous collaboration is made possible largely to the generous funding from Zen Educate and a subsidy by the Arts Council. The event is now in its third year, enthusiastically led by founders, Tanya White (Associate Headteacher and Music Lead) and Lindsay Clark (Headteacher Designate and Enrichment Lead).

Tanya explained the importance of the event: “I believe that music is food for the soul. It is an essential, inclusive, creative and thoroughly enjoyable aspect of school life. Our trust-wide choir creates endless opportunities for our children to experience connectivity outside of their own school and community. We learn signing and other languages. For example, this year, we learned a Japanese song, “Sakura” in Japanese. We explore a variety of cultures and have a wonderful time together.

“The Music Hubs, coordinated this year by the Inspire Music team - the Hub Lead Organisation for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire - support our schools by selecting appropriate song choices and invaluable in-person training workshops for our staff teams. Building confidence and expertise in our staff is essential to the success of this project. The lyrics, music scores and backing tracks are uploaded to Transform’s SharePoint, enabling schools to participate and practise independently and affordably.”

The culmination of months of practising, preparation and hard work takes place at the annual Albert Hall event, managed by Lucy Reid, Inspire’s Music Services Manager and the Inspire team, who provide a band of local talented musicians, set the music, and lead the singing on the day.

Kelly Lee, Transform Trust’s Chief School Improvement Officer, said: “Today has been a truly joyous and memorable occasion for everyone. Yes, music is at the core, but there’s so much more to this event. Seeing the children’s faces as they entered this magical space was very special. They met other children outside of their school with a mutual love of singing, and saw slightly older, inspirational young people perform, who are excelling in music. The songs we sing, and the essence of the Transform Trust Choir, chime with our values of ‘Respect, Kindness, Equity and Creativity’. Occasions like this also help build social and emotional skills as well as spark imaginations and aspirations.”

Charlotte, Year 5 pupil, said: “Singing makes me feel happy and powerful, and nothing else matters”, whilst Alex, Year 2, likes “being part of a choir because the songs are good, and it makes me feel calm” and Gregory, Year 2, loved learning the Japanese song.

The finale, Roar/Brave compilation, was clearly one of the most popular with pupils as they brought the house down. Jasmin, Year 5, was keen to encourage more children to join, stating, “I was a little nervous at first, but that soon disappeared – I would say to anyone feeling a little scared to just come along and try it – everyone is friendly and it gives you such a good feeling!”

Arguably, the proudest member of the audience, Rebecca Meredith, CEO of Transform Trust, said: “I say this every time we bring our children together, but I truly think I have the best job in the world. Looking at our children as they sing their hearts out fills me with so much joy and hope. We are custodians for such a short time, and it's our responsibility to provide opportunities for all our children to shine.

“I am so grateful to everyone here who has contributed to today’s success and the growth and legacy of our Transform Trust choir. We want to thank the generosity of the respective Music Hubs, Arts Council and Zen Educate, who enabled us to provide this opportunity for the children and their families. There's an incredible amount of hard work and determination involved and it is certainly paying off – I cannot wait to see what happens next.”