More than 300 pupils from school in the Hastings and Rye area write and perform their own songs

Hastings Thrives 3 (1) SUS-190716-095531001

The event, sponsored by Hastings Direct, was bursting with talent. Schools taking part were: All Saints, The Baird, Christ Church, Guestling Bradshaw, Hastings Academy, Ore Village, Robsack Wood, Silverdale, St Thomas Winchelsea and Westfield.

Pupils wrote and performed their own songs. This year’s theme was Summer and schools came up with some fantastic, creative and uplifting songs.

Guestling Bradshaw won the Primary competition and a ukulele from Replay Music Stores in Bexhill.

The Best Lyrics were awarded to St Thomas’ CE Primary School, Winchelsea, the Best Lyric Line went to Ore Valley for “Creatures crawling up my knees”, as they told a story of a day in the life of a summer camping trip. The Catchiest Chorus went to Robsack Wood and the Best Performance to Christ Church.

Hastings Academy put in three bands and gave the Competition the WOW factor with some great raw talent who had the audience spellbound or jumping up and down in their seats and whooping with appreciation. Cold Hearted were the Secondary winners with a hilarious rocking performance, while Purely Grey were commended for their beautiful lyrics which drew comparison between the beach and relationships. And a recently formed band THA, produced a memorable lyric line ‘Sunflowers in black and white’.

Cold Hearted won a fantastic prize from BIMM Institute Brighton - an afternoon of Live Performance Workshop with industry tutors Martin Rossiter (Head of Songwriting and Former Gene frontman) and Vinnie Lammi (Head of Live Performance and former Mel C and Spice Girls drummer).

“One of the great joys of the competition is the enormous and genuine enthusiasm shown by the schools, their teachers and pupils and parents. The performing children and teenagers were magnificent – the nervous little ones are outnumbered by sassy, outgoing performers and their confidence was contagious.” said Trustee Susanna Longley

Proceedings were compered by Jonny Morris, Head of Sliverdale Primary Academy.

The event was supported by Hastings Lions, Hastings Round Table, The Roy Hudson Trust, The Lucy Tate Trust, and the Blue Spark Foundation and Fun With Music.

Hastings Thrives works to overcome barriers to learning through training and activities, in conjunction with parents and the community.