Newham’s ‘Extraordinary Voices’ perform at the O2

Children from a Newham choir performed at the O2 with an Italian opera star who has sung for the Pope and worked with Luciano Pavarotti.

The Newham Academy of Music children’s choir ‘Extraordinary Voices’ performed with Andrea Bocelli at the Greenwich O2 Arena in front of an audience of 20,000 a night for two nights.

Andrea Bocelli is widely regarded as the most popular Italian and classical singer in the world. His most notable song is ‘Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye)’, a duet with English singer Sarah Brightman, and has even teamed up with Celine Dion. The choirs came on to perform this as the encore to a standing ovation from a full house.

The choir of 32 9-13-year-olds was initially commissioned by Newham Council to perform at its London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Ceremony and Under the Stars.

The choir represent schools from all over Newham, including Brampton, Britannia Village, Central Park, Essex, Gallions, Hartley, Kaizen, Nelson, Plaistow, Portway, Sandringham, Selwyn and Southern Road Primary Schools and Cumberland, Eleanor Smith, Little Ilford, Sarah Bonnell, St. Angela’s and St. Bonnaventure’s.

The Newham Academy of Music forms part of the Newham Music Trust and is based at NewVIc, the Newham Sixth Form College.

Phil Castang, CEO of Newham Music Trust said: “This is an absolutely amazing and unique opportunity for our choir and demonstrates that Newham children can achieve at the highest level. And what a great world class tenor for our choir to be performing alongside, at a massive internationally renowned venue.”