Record-breaking 202,000 children sing Matilda the Musical songs

This week the O2 Arena in London was filled with the harmonious voices of over 8,400 children from 169 schools as they performed songs from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical.

This concert is part of the Young Voices 2024 initiative, known for hosting the largest children’s choir concerts in the world.

Tim Minchin, the musical talent behind the songs, extended his support through a special video message to the children. The highlight of the evening was the appearance of Lydia White, who plays Miss Honey in the West End production, as she joined the children in singing iconic numbers from both the stage production and the recent film adaptation.

The setlist included ‘Miracle’, ‘Naughty’, ‘School Song’, ‘When I Grow Up’, ‘My House’, ‘Revolting Children’, and ‘Holding My Hand’.

This year’s Young Voices concerts are exceptional in scale, with over 202,000 children from more than 4,300 schools participating in 30 arena concerts across the UK. These performances will continue till the end of February.

Young Voices has established itself as a unique educational programme, partnering with one in four primary schools in the UK. It aims to foster skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, mindfulness, and innovation through music. Notably, Young Voices has surpassed the number of shows at The O2 arena by any single artist, including Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Take That.

In a delightful turn of events, Lydia White (Miss Honey) surprised a class at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Greenwich, London. She interacted with the children and gained insights into their rehearsal experiences.

The West End production of Matilda The Musical, penned by Dennis Kelly with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, continues to captivate audiences in its 13th year at the Cambridge Theatre. The production, directed by Matthew Warchus and designed by Rob Howell, has received 101 international awards and has been seen by 11 million people in over 90 cities.