Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Young Voices

32 replies

CoperCabana · 02/02/2018 19:33

All my FB friends kids seem to be doing this. Is this one big, fat money making thing like Rock Choir?

OP posts:
13lucky · 02/02/2018 20:14

No, it's a yearly event that school choirs can sign up to. The choirs all learn the same songs at their own schools the term before the concerts and then all come together for one big concert in big concert venues across the country. It's an amazing opportunity for the kids. My daughter has now sung in the O2 twice. The cost to us: £10 each time for her coach travel...and an amazing opportunity for her. (Admittedly we did then spend about £100 on tickets to watch, travel for us etc but hugely worth it.)

Original poster
CoperCabana · 02/02/2018 20:34

Aaah, ok. It was the cost of the O2 tickets that worried me, and I also suspected the schools have to pay too. Guess if everyone is happy to pay, then as you say, a great experience for the kids.

OP posts:
TheSnowFairy · 02/02/2018 20:39

DD (9) did this yesterday - we paid for a seat on the coach and a t-shirt. We didn't go, loads of parents did though. She had an amazing time and her HT didn't get home til after midnight after making sure everyone was home safely Star

LIZS · 02/02/2018 20:44

Yes it is a gimmick . Dd did it several years ago and we went to the O2 but she didn't really rate it.

JuneFromBethesda · 02/02/2018 21:07

I disagree LIZS. How is it a gimmick? My daughter also went with her school last night and she had an amazing time. Almost 8,000 kids singing together in an enormous arena, with professional band and singers accompanying them - what a fantastic experience. I was in the audience and only went because my daughter wanted me there, I wasn’t looking forward to it at all - but I enjoyed it hugely. It was very well run, very entertaining and for the sheer pleasure my daughter got from it, an absolute bargain. Her school does it every year and I’m looking now forward to my younger daughter doing it in 3 years time. (And I wouldn’t go anywhere near a Rock Choir!)

LIZS · 02/02/2018 21:27

Just asked dd who did it in 2012. She felt it was an anticlimax. They had been built up to expect something really exciting, but it just wasn't. Felt insignificant in the sheer scale of the numbers. A day out but nothing really special. She can barely remember singing some of the programme!

dotdotdotmustdash · 02/02/2018 21:30

Is this the same organisation as Voice in a Million? My Dd auditioned a few years ago and was given one of only full 2 solos on the night in our (not the 02) theatre. It was fine, but the theatre was only about 25% full and was just friends and relatives at high ticket prices. I think it may have grown since then and I imagine it would be a great experience in a big, busy arena.

Barbie222 · 02/02/2018 21:55

I took my choir group this week. It's an awesome experience. Don't think it's overtly money making but you do have to buy the t shirt and pay your slice of the coach. We fundraised a lot over Xmas to get the coach cost down. The kids were desperate to go. Songs great and all online easy to practise. Will definitely be doing it again.

littlepeas · 02/02/2018 21:59

My ds did it this year - he really enjoyed it.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 02/02/2018 22:02

Yes it's a huge money making thing. However you can do it on the cheap - the branded t-shirts aren't compulsory, they can wear a plain white one, and parents don't have to go and watch - in which case you just have the share of coach travel to pay.

Both my children did it and enjoyed it, but I didn't go and watch - mostly because I couldn't get out of work in time to get there but also because the tickets were ££££.

Jeffstar79 · 02/02/2018 22:57

My DD was there last night. It was her second time and she absolutely loved it. It's a fantastic experience and one she'll remember for years. We had to pay £10 for the coach and they decorated their own t-shirts to wear.

TheSnowFairy · 03/02/2018 09:16

DS2 also went in 2014, Stacey Solomon was there and he still talks about it and her Wink

This year was the singer from Clean Bandit.

madasamarchhare · 03/02/2018 09:35

As everybody else has said this is a fantastic experience. My Dd has sung at the o2 twice and she had a fabulous time. Myself and family members went up in time to have a meal before the show started and then our children were met at an arranged point outside the venue. This all worked really well and we often talk about it too. Our school agreed that any children that attended could arrive at school slightly later the following morning which was an added bonus!

Original poster
CoperCabana · 03/02/2018 10:41

Interesting. Our school don’t do it, and I was thinking of suggesting it, but didn’t want to do so if the school had to pay loads to take part, and the parents ended up shelling out loads. As pretty sure many wouldn’t due to the demographic of the school. Thanks for the insight all.

OP posts:
spanieleyes · 03/02/2018 10:50

It can be quite expensive for the school involved. Staff are pretty much expected to attend the training events beforehand, which cost in terms of charges, staff costs, transport etc. The coach trips are subsidised ( we shared a coach with another small school so we had 30 children going but the coach cost £600- the school paid half). Staff volunteer to go but some schools might feel obliged to pay overtime/time off in lieu ( if you are lucky!)

But it is a great experience!

HarryDresdensLeatherDuster · 03/02/2018 10:51

We used to do this one when mine were younger Young Voices. Raised money for a very worthwhile cause!

2cats2many · 03/02/2018 10:52

My DD has taken part at the O2 for the last two years. She said she would never forget taking part and it's was a really emotional experience to watch it. It was well worth the cost of the tickets and t shirt. Brilliant experience.

spanieleyes · 03/02/2018 10:52

Oh, and there is also an £85 registration fee!

Averyyounggrandmaofsix · 03/02/2018 10:56

My grandson did this last year and we went to it. We made a lovely evening of it and ate at the O2 but we couldn't see him and he couldn't see us! If I ever go again I shall be taking some kind of neon type necklace.
I had a nice little sing along tho.

madasamarchhare · 03/02/2018 10:59

Our school provided a coach there but the children had to be met from the venue. This may be an option to keep costs down. However, may not be feasible for everybody and you’d need to be aware of this when giving consent for their attendance.

WreckTangled · 03/02/2018 10:59

Dd went and loved it, although her and two friends fell asleep between songs Grin we only had to pay £11 something for her train fare as we didn't go and watch.

spanieleyes · 03/02/2018 10:59

There is an app you can download that enables you to locate the school in an arena but identifying one child amongst 3-8000 is quite hard-although some parents turn up with huge banners!

Shyposter · 03/02/2018 11:22

My son did it years ago but ours was at Sheffield Arena. His 'celebrity' was Lee Ryan from Blue... strangely enough, he doesn't remember him at all Hmm = but he does fondly remember the occasion. It was a really good experience for him and the school.

mysteryfairy · 03/02/2018 13:44

It is for profit but then so are many things you might think are worth paying for, for the experience.

It wasn't something I particularly enjoyed but made the best of it for DD. I can imagine it could be a stress for a family where money was tight.

GrimDamnFanjo · 03/02/2018 17:14

My youngest did her third and final concert the other week. It's been a massive part of her primary school experience as they start practicing months in advance. On the night they get to see live performance, be backing singers and also be the choir so it works on many levels.
Seeing her dancing and singing with her friends and the pleasure she got from the experience was great.