All over the UK, schools have been gearing up for the final holiday of 2022. This is certainly not different with Plumstead Manor Secondary School who have a long lasting tradition in their Music Department of hosting a musical performance called The Winter Concert, which took place this year on 13th December.

This event first originated within the school during the 1980s and has continued to be a chance for students interested in music to perform and show their hard work and talents to an audience.

An interview with the current Head of Music and Performing Arts, Sonia Linaker, cast light on the process of conducting the Winter Concert. She stated that “It is a long process but I do enjoy it. First I’ll talk to the team and start creating letters for the pupils. Then, we will create a rehearsal schedule whilst I create posters. That is my favourite part. Then we will create tickets and, if necessary, host auditions if there are slots to fill. Finally, the day before the concert we would set up the equipment and go through rehearsals until the night of the Concert.”

Over the years, the Winter Concert has grown and now is a two hour show. The acts within have also evolved to be more band focused but this year there was more variety with the performances. One Year 10 GCSE Student expressed that people should “Do it because it’s fun. You might be nervous at the beginning but at the end it brings people together.”