The Year 5 pupils at St John Fisher were lucky enough to particapte in the Merton Music Foundation collaboration at the Royal Albert Hall.
1,500 young musicians from Merton take to the stage at the Royal Albert Hall for Merton Music Foundation’s Music is for Life 2026: Lookin’ Up On Tuesday 10 March 2026, the iconic Royal Albert Hall was filled with the sound of 1,500 young singers and instrumentalists from Merton, in a spectacular concert celebrating the talent nurtured through Merton Music Foundation’s programmes.
The concert opened with a thrilling performance of Skyfall by the full company, immediately captivating the audience. MMF’s Soundwave Music Centre provided the DJs, while audio productions by the Resonance Ensemble and Music Production students filled the auditorium with immersive soundscapes. Curtain-raisers included Samba Saints, a samba group of adults with physical and mental disabilities who attend the All Saints Day Centre in South Wimbledon, adding energy and rhythm to the evening. Injecting a theatrical flourish, the audience cheered a special appearance from two Doctors from Dr. Who and two Daleks, provided by the Charity Dalek Squad whilst the Massed Concert Band performed the Dr. Who theme.
The Massed Choir included entire Year 5 year groups from 19 Merton primary and special schools as well as MMF’s own Young Voices and VoiceBox groups and they were joined by Wimbledon Community Chorus, MMF’s partner adult choir, and the London Vocal Project, adding richness and depth to the choral performances. Another standout moment was the collaboration with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Merton special schools, Cricket Green and Perseid, who performed pieces co-created by the students with composer Raph Clarkson.
The second half featured Lookin Up, an uplifting suite of specially commissioned music by acclaimed composer Pete Churchill, bringing together the full forces of choir and instrumentalists in a breathtaking finale. The concert was a vibrant celebration of young people, creativity, and the transformative power of music, leaving performers and audience alike with memories to last a lifetime.
