We lose so much when we read in silence; the sounds and melodies which poems create, their music and mood only truly come to life when spoken and shared.

All Emanuel pupils in Years 6 to 8, alongside Year 9 poetry enthusiasts, recently experienced this first-hand. For a chance to enter the national ‘Poetry by Heart’ competition, each student chose a poem from the competition anthology, learnt it by heart, and recited it in front of the class. Class representatives took to the stage in the theatre on March 9th to perform a truly astonishing range of lyrical texts with real originality, empathy and flair. The Emanuel school finalists chosen to enter the national competition are:

  • Year 6: Lorenzo and Charlie
  • Year 7: Aoife and Lauren
  • Year 8:  Eva and Oliver
  • Year 9: Suzie and Manasseh

These frontrunners are now in the running for a chance to perform poetry on the stage of the Globe Theatre, if selected by the national jury. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our finalists on their recitals, but also to thank James Skinner for filming these performances so professionally.

Dr Donn (Deputy Head of English)