More than 500 pupils take part in opera performance

The pupils learned the complicated songs from Mozart's The Magic Flute

More than 500 pupils from primary schools across Hull came together for a special opera performance on Monday.

Louisa Waldron, head of school at Westcott Primary, arranged the event alongside the Royal Opera House.

Boys and girls from 10 primary schools studied and practised Mozart's The Magic Flute before a performance at Hull's Hilton Hotel, with professional singers supporting on the day.

Mrs Waldron, who wanted to help make opera "more accessible", said this event was "just the start" and hoped to repeat it in future years.

Professional singers from the Royal Opera House supported the performance

“When I said I’m going to get 500 kids in a room singing opera, I could see people looking at me, but there were 500 kids in that room singing opera," she said.

Mrs Waldron said there were many benefits to taking part in the Create and Sing project, from learning more about musicality and the structure of operas, to improved pupil feelings of "confidence and empowerment".

She added that it was important for the pupils to take part in "shared performance", as well as "something that's bigger than themselves".

The Magic Flute is a two-part opera, in German, and premiered in Vienna in 1791.

One of the most famous parts is the Queen of the Night aria, which the pupils saw performed by a professional soprano.

One pupil taking part in the performance said initially they were nervous about "high-pitched singing," but did not realise "there would be all this fun stuff".