Fanfare as pupils take up trumpet scheme

A VILLAGE school is trumpeting the arrival of a pioneering music scheme. Year 4 pupils at Melbourn Primary School are learning to play the trumpet with the aid of a batch of pocket trumpets. Head teacher Jacqueline Bell-Cook said: I used to work for the

A VILLAGE school is trumpeting the arrival of a pioneering music scheme.

Year 4 pupils at Melbourn Primary School are learning to play the trumpet with the aid of a batch of pocket trumpets.

Head teacher Jacqueline Bell-Cook said: "I used to work for the local education authority in Newcastle.

"One of my ex-colleagues, who is a keen trumpet player, has designed this scheme of work to get more children into playing music, so I asked if we could use it here at Melbourn."

The school has bought a pocket trumpet - a small version of the trumpet which makes the same sound as its larger sibling - for each child in Year 4.

Mrs Bell-Cook said: "Usually music is one of those subjects you can only do if you pay for it, and we wanted to make this course inclusive for everyone.

"The good thing about it is that the children are already playing tunes.

"There's not a long period where you are just learning one note at a time, which can get very frustrating."

The school has also employed a specialist music teacher to conduct the trumpet lessons, and teach Year 3 pupils the recorder.

"So far the children have been great, they're really thrilled when they get the chance to play the trumpets," said Mrs Bell-Cook.

"We were hoping to have a Christmas concert, but they're not quite ready for that.

"But we definitely hope to be able to put on a performance towards the end of next term.