50,000 Welsh schoohttps://nation.cymru/news/50000-welsh-schoolchildren-get-front-row-seats-for-darth-vader-and-princess-leia-showdown/lchildren get front-row seats for Darth Vader and Princess Leia showdown

Nation Cymru staff

Darth Vader and Princess Leia battled it out in a Star Wars spectacular that’s entertaining 50,000 schoolchildren in Wrexham, Denbighshire and Conwy.

The giant Vader clashed with Leia in a dazzling lightsabre duel as the Make Some Noise Band from the North Wales Music Cooperative blasted out the iconic Imperial March.

The dramatic performance was part of a series of concerts that’s being beamed live to 150 primary schools and played live at 23 secondary schools in the three counties.

Based at the cooperative’s headquarters in Denbigh, the 11-piece band is touring to inspire children to enjoy music, take up and instrument and learn to sing.

Artistic lead Wyn Pearson said: “The purpose of the concerts is to give the youngsters a chance to enjoy themselves, to sing along and dance if they want.

“We also want to encourage and inspire those who don’t play musical instruments to maybe think about taking one up. It’s a great thing to do.

“We’ve been doing these concerts for a few years now and this time we asked the youngsters themselves who their favourite singers are and to name their favourite songs.

“We’ve taken the results on board which is why we’re doing the Star Wars theme. The movie is 50 years old this year but still a favourite and it’ll be on S4C in Welsh this Christmas.

“Then we’ve got Michael Jackson’s Thriller and a bit of K-Pop as well as a song by Bwncath and we finish off with Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling! because it’s one of our favourites.”

The band are all tutors with the North Wales Music Cooperative, a not-for-profit organisation that provides high quality music tuition for children and young people.

In a departure from her usual repertoire, Princess Leia was played by award-winning mezzo soprano Sioned Terry, from Abergele, who has also sung for the Royal family.

The other soloist was Sara Davies, who hails from Old Colwyn, a former winner of the Cȃn i Gymru (Song for Wales) competition.

She won with her original song, ‘Ti’, a love song written by Sara’s grandfather for her grandmother, in 2024 and later represented Wales at the Pan Celtic Festival in Ireland and went on to win that competition as well.

Sara said: “Singing with the Make Some Noise band is something I really enjoy doing. It’s great fun working with such talented musicians and singing songs I would normally never sing on my own.

“The songs this year are ones the children all know and love and it’s great knowing that they are probably singing along with us.

“Music is very important because it not only helps young people express themselves, but also helps them discover who they are and feel better about themselves.”

Sioned added: “It’s great to sing with a band and perform songs to such a large number of young people.

“The Make Some Noise project is a wonderful initiative and hopefully it will continue to be successful.”

The service teaches 5,000 children every week and has been described as a “national treasure” by its patron, Royal composer Professor Paul Mealor.

According to Wyn Pearson, the streamed concerts have been hugely popular with youngsters across the three counties and trigger dozens of new requests for tuition.

“The band is made up of specialist music tutors from the service, all of whom are accomplished musicians playing a wide range of instruments,” he said.

“They perform a varied mix of songs ranging from memorable Hollywood films and popular West End show tunes to contemporary K-pop hits and everything in between.

“During each concert, the musicians also introduce their instruments, giving young audiences an insight into the sounds they can create and the versatility of each one.

“Music has been shown to enhance children’s numeracy and literacy skills, while also boosting confidence and overall well-being. It should not be viewed as an optional extra, but as a vital subject that benefits every child.

“Demand for music tuition remains strong, and we are delighted to be supporting so many pupils as they develop their talents and fulfil their potential.”

Music cooperative chair Cllr Mark Young said: “The musicians and singers from Make Some Noise are an absolutely brilliant band and I am sure they will inspire lots of the young people who hear them to get involved in music.”

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