A massive chorus of young people in Bradford made history this week, with thousands of schoolchildren gathering to set two new Guinness World Records for mass musical participation.
The record-breaking event, held at the recently restored Bradford Live venue, was a key highlight of Bradford’s ongoing UK City of Culture celebrations and raised funds for BBC Children in Need.
Students from the Priestley Academy Trust and others from across the region successfully broke records in two distinct musical categories:
Largest Air-Drumming Session: Participants broke the record for the largest synchronized “air-drumming” event, bringing an imaginative drum solo to life.
Largest Body Percussion Lesson: A huge crowd of children also set a new high for the largest “body percussion” lesson, using only their hands, feet, and bodies to create complex rhythms.
The successful attempts were organized by the Bradford Music & Arts Service and featured performances from the BBC Radio Leeds choir, Bantam of the Opera.
The event underscored the commitment of local trusts and the City of Culture initiative to provide broad musical opportunities to young people.
“This event builds on the initiative to provide musical opportunities to children who have very limited exposure to a wide variety of musical genres at home,” said Tom Fay, Director of School Improvement at the Priestley Academy Trust.
The success of the mass musical effort has been hailed as an inspiring event that highlights the profound benefits of music for children’s emotional well-being and community spirit.
