Northampton school children help to create series of songs inspired by the town’s heritage

School children from a Northampton primary school have been involved in the creation of a series of songs inspired by the town’s heritage.

The children from Lumbertubs Primary School teamed up with three-time Radio 2 Folk Award winners The Young’Uns and Historic England to compose, perform and record their songs.

The school, which is part of the Campfire Education Trust, took part in online song-writing workshops with the folk trio, who have combined educational work with an international touring career.

The children wrote a song from the perspective of an ancient tree at Billing Arbor Wood, reflecting on the history of the area and the migration of people from London to Northampton.

Ceri Cook, headteacher of Lumbertubs, said: “The children loved finding out about the history of Lumbertubs and enjoyed working with the Young’uns to create our song.

“The celebration with all of the Trust schools at the end of the project was fantastic and it was good for Lumbertubs children to be part of a wider Trust event.”

Sean Cooney, from The Young’uns, added: “The fact that this project succeeded in the face of the lockdowns and disruption of the past year is a testament to the resilience and determination of the schools to give their students the best experiences to inspire learning and creativity.”

As part of the project, Kate Argyle, from Historic England’s Heritage Schools Programme, worked with teachers to identify local heritage themes for the musical compositions.

She said: “Local heritage is a fabulous source of inspiration across the curriculum, and I am delighted to have had the opportunity to work with staff, equipping them with a wealth of local heritage resources to inspire learning and creativity in the future.”

The folk song project was organised by education consultant and folk music enthusiast Karin Horowitz.

All schools taking part received a national Heritage Schools Award from Historic England.

A virtual celebratory assembly was held where the children, staff and invited guests heard The Young’uns perform the new songs along with one specially commissioned for the whole Campfire Education Trust.

Visit the school’s website to listen to the songs.