HUNDREDS of children from across York kept packed Barbican audiences entranced at the weekend in the 2014 York Music Hub Festival.
More than 600 youngsters from 14 York schools performed to about 2,000 people in two concerts at the Barbican at 2pm and 7pm on Saturday. Neil Foster of BBC Radio York hosted the evening concert, and the day's performers included brass, strings, woodwind, a string quartet – and even a big band.
The performances concluded with a rousing performance of the official Yorkshire Festival 2014 song, Hope and Social's 'The Big Wide'.
Coun Sonja Crisp, the city council's cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism, said the performances reflected the range of young people's music making in York.
"It was fantastic event," she said. "I know the young performers really enjoyed it and the feedback’s been brilliant. We’ve some great young musicians to be proud of.”
The choice of The Big Wide to close the concerts was particularly appropriate with the Tour de France due to arrive in just a couple of weeks, she added.
"The Yorkshire Festival is the first arts festival to precede the Grand Départ in its 111 year history, so its very fitting that this song was chosen as the Grand Finale."
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