Remember the simpler days of primary school? The morning assemblies where you would belt your heart out to those school tunes. Give Me Oil in my Lamp, Colours of Day and When a Knight Won His Spurs among many classics. The lyrics ingrained into your head. You might not remember what you ate last night, but the moment the tune for ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ gets started, you’re there with every word of the song.
Well, James B Partridge, a singing teacher is bringing us all that nostalgia back with a tour across the UK of, yes you guessed it, ‘Primary School Bangers’.
I headed along to last nights gig at Lichfield Hub at St Marys and it was like stepping back into the school assembly hall, surrounded by classmates, their voices blending in harmony (and not! Ha!) And all the silly dance moves with our hands just coming straight back to us.
Partridge’s setlist was a delightful mix of classic school songs, adverts from the 90s, and popular songs we sang years ago. Everyones voices filling the room with a joyful cacophony.
The atmosphere was infectious and everyone joined in. It was as if everyone had been transported back to their childhood, reliving the carefree days of school, a lady in front of us got so emotional we noticed her crying at one point. The gig was a celebration of innocence, simplicity, and the power of music to bring people together.
I left Lichfield Hub feeling uplifted and with a newfound appreciation for the timeless appeal of primary school hymns. Those primary school children today, don’t know how lucky they are.
For more details about where James is heading next on his tour: https://jamesbpartridge.com/
For a video of snippets from the night, take a look at our reel on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallhousebigtrips