As I approach the end of my six months here in Goa, we also approach the annual monsoon concert with the charity. It has been a pleasure to work with these children and young people, and to see them grow in confidence. One girl in particular comes to mind; when I first met her, she was incredibly shy, standing at the back and not participating in much of the singing. Fast forward to now, and she always comes into class with a smile and a story for me. She’ll actively take part in class, answer questions and even sing on her own. It is incredibly rewarding to see this kind of progression. I could tell many more stories about any one of these young musicians and I am proud of them all.
After the monsoon concert on the 28th July, the choral project will continue on, with new and passionate choral leaders from the UK and Portugal joining the team. I hope that it will continue to develop and flourish. In the meantime, I am looking forward to my final days here, preparing our concert program. This includes arrangements of traditional songs of South Africa, English music and musical theatre. When I head home, I will take many happy memories and some important life lessons with me. It seems a long time ago now that I was tentatively taking the bus on my own for the first time, exploring the area and meeting many of you. Thank you to Child’s Play for this special opportunity and experience
– Claire Hughes