It was a music lesson with a twist courtesy of some very special guests.
This week Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain visited Highbury Grove School, a specialist music school in north London, for a one day residency.
McDaid led a workshop which saw the school’s students join forces with the orchestra to put on a performance of Photograph, the 2015 single he co-wrote with Ed Sheeran.
He said: “The most important part of today was seeing these kids work together and play together, and stand in unity in music, it’s just so thrilling.”
Making the most of the experience was flautist Deronne White, a 17-year-old student at the school, who first picked up a flute at the age of 14 as part of the Music in Secondary School Trust programme.
He has since achieved a distinction in grade 8 flute and has been accepted into the prestigious National Youth Orchestra.
Deronne, who receives free school meals, said he was “proud to have a place in the orchestra” and to represent it at his own school where he is seen as a positive role model to younger students.
