Sir David Attenborough inspires Music Education Islington students to release climate change track

73 students who attend MEI music centres have written a climate change ballad with the help of their teacher Fliss Gorst, inspired by Attenborough's speech. The students also included their own orchestral and choral compositions, wrapping and singing which can be heard on the track.

The performance will be available to watch online from 7 July at 6.15 pm. All the recordings were made by the children from home, and the artwork used for the music video was inspired by the student’s feelings around climate change.

Attenborough’s speech, which inspired 'Seasons Change', said: ‘With a new year comes the opportunity for change and if we act in 2021, we can make a world of difference. Together we can turn things around, together we can restore our fragile home and make it a happy new year for all the inhabitants of planet earth.’

The students attended the music centres at Arts Media School and City of London Academy in Islington twice a week, before they moved online in March 2020. Attendance numbers have tripled from 48, when the centres first moved online, to 150 over the past year, with 49per cent of students offered a free place.

Fliss Gorst woodwind teacher and Seasons Change project lead said: ‘Having heard Sir David Attenborough’s New Year’s speech, one dark January night in deepest lockdown I sat at the piano and started writing ‘Seasons Change,’ leaving space within the song for the children to add their creative input. The fact that the song has such a strong message and that the children express that message so clearly and with such passion deserves our attention and respect. I am hugely proud of all that the music centres have achieved online since the pandemic and am thrilled to have the opportunity to release our song.’

Two of those involved, Khadijah and Sofia wrote to Sir David Attenborough about the project and each received a hand-written reply. Sofia, Age 11 said: ‘I felt overjoyed and excited to receive something from such a hero. Sir David Attenborough is amazing and for him to take his time to write to me made me feel extremely special and pleased. 

‘Coming to the music centre throughout lockdown, as well as before and after, gives me something to look forward to every week – it is an enjoyable place to come and creatively explore music. The staff are very supportive and motivating.’

Andrea Stark, Islington Council’s director of employment, skills and culture, said: ‘As the 'Seasons Change' song and video show, the music education programme has so many benefits for our young people – inspiring them, broadening their horizons and firing their imaginations to deliver a vital message about climate change in a fresh and relevant way.

‘Throughout history, music has been used to bring people together as a catalyst for social change, and can really capture the spirit of a movement – I hope 'Seasons Change' will help focus our minds on the actions we can all take to reduce our carbon footprint.’

Seasons Change will be available to watch on 7 July at 6:15pm at gsmd.ac.uk/SeasonsChange.