The hills are alive in Menston

THE ARTISTIC TALENT of the pupils of St Mary’s Catholic High School in Menston, West Yorkshire, was again on show last week in a production which needs very little introduction: The Sound of Music.
Underthe guidance of drama teacher Claire Andrews students performed to a full house on three consecutive nights as well as a matinee performance for Year 6 students from local primary schools.
The cast of 45 students, ranging in age from Year 8 through to sixth form, worked hard for months to make the performances a resounding success. Credit also goes to the band and the army of backstage volunteers who ensured that everything ran smoothly.
The lead character of Maria, played by sixth-form students Lauren Whiteley and Shaunagh Kellegher (who performed at alternate performances), wowed the audience with renditions of old favourites such as “DoRe-Mi”, ably assisted by the von Trapp children. Captain von Trapp, played by sixthform student Matthew Roberts, sang an extremely touching version of “Edelweiss” (with a little bit of audience participation as a part of the finale!) Mother Abbess, played by Caitlin Fraser, must be congratulated for hitting the highest note of the production while singing a very emotional “Climb Every Mountain” which brought a tear to the eye of many members of the audience.
Robert Pritchard, headteacher at St Mary’s, said: “These events can only be brought to fruition with commitment from all concerned – the performers, musicians, backstage staff who have had to fit all of the rehearsals around their school work – and also the commitment from the staff. Hard work, dedication and outstanding talent made the performances tremendous in every way and show St Mary’s at its best.”