NOS visits Swaffield Primary School

Six of our Young Artists visited Swaffield Primary School in Wandsworth to perform a short concert of opera arias and ensembles for Year 5 pupils. The programme, directed by Emma Black, featured extracts from Carmen, Hansel and Gretel, The Tales of Hoffmann, The Magic Flute, and Little Women. Through a lively and engaging performance, pupils were introduced to a range of operatic styles, characters, and storytelling.

This performance provided Swaffield Primary School’s pupils a rare opportunity to experience live classical music and opera in a familiar environment. The visit demonstrated that opera can be expressive, accessible, and relevant to young audiences. By bringing high-quality live performance directly into the school, the Young Artists helped broaden cultural engagement and offered pupils an inspiring introduction to vocal performance and musical storytelling.

Feedback from Year 5 teachers Jean Bennet and Holly Chesser:

“Thank you so much for your wonderful opera performance at our school this afternoon. The children were absolutely captivated and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to be introduced to opera in such an engaging and accessible way.

Your energy, talent, and interaction with the audience made the performance truly memorable. Many of the pupils are still talking about it, and it has sparked a real interest in music and the arts.

We are very grateful for the time and effort you put into making the event so special. We hope to welcome you back again in the future.”