Features / Colston Hall
Happy birthday, Colston Hall
The stage is set, the lights dimmed, the musicians ready. This is a birthday to remember for Colston Hall, at the grand age of 150, and as such, should be celebrated in style.
1500 school children funnel onto the stage, one by one, in complete silence. Tealights in hand, they take their respective seats; Colston’s Primary at the rear, St Patrick’s Catholic Primary at the front, and a jumble of other schools arranged in between.
As well as that special birthday, they are also here to celebrate the beginning of the Bristol Schools Summer Concert, organised by Bristol Plays Music, which has graced the ears of Bristolians for more than 50 years.
is needed now More than ever
The rehearsals are not entirely smooth, yet the determination of the students to achieve perfection is something to be admired. I witness three run-throughs of the headlining Happy Hippy Hoppy Happy Birthday and the improvement each time is clearly audible.
The main moment comes around half way in, when the lights go out and the tealights go on. The children break into a heartwarming rendition of the classic happy birthday, addressed to Colston Hall, and those watching can’t help but be absorbed in the moment.
It concludes with the 500 candles being blown out to a chorus of cheers and applause, and the smiles on the children’s faces in the front row are truly contagious. Happy birthday, Colston Hall.
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