Donacarney school delight audience with Christmas musical spectacular

Réalt na Mara BNS in Donacarney held their annual Christmas Concert on Wednesday the 13th of December in their school hall.

The concert, a favourite fixture in the Donacarney school calendar provided the senior boys from Gliondar Mara and boys in classes 3rd to 6th class the opportunity to delight and entertain their friends and family.

The range of talent and creativity that the pupils clearly possess was proudly on display throughout the night. The large hall decorated by the pupils own artwork created a wonderful and atmospheric setting for the nights’ entertainment.

The concert showcased lively and fast paced dancing by 3rd class pupils to the music ‘Footloose’. Older pupils marveled attendees with a shadow theatre that allowed the audience travel around the world, whilst other pupils employed percussion and the use of boomwhackers to enhance their performance of the well known sea shanty ‘The Wellerman.’

Those in attendance were regaled with a mash up of ‘Three Little Birds’ and ‘ Here Comes Santa Claus’ on ukuleles! The audience were also treated to an entertaining dramatised history of ‘Christmas Songs Through the Years’! Sixth class wowed us with a demonstration of tutting; they were then joined by boys from Gliondar Mara to sign, using Lámh, the Christmas Classic ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’.

The school choir played a pivotal role throughout the concert by providing entertainment between acts. They serenaded the crowd with a range of fun upbeat songs such as Bastille’s ‘Pompeii’ and Black Eyed Peas ‘l’ve Got a Feeling’. The choir made tribue to Sinéad O’Connor, Christy Duignan and Shane McGowan, who all passed away in 2023 with a medley of their songs.

The performance was poignant and sang with great emotion and feeling by the talented choir. Many of the choir’s songs were enhanced by musical accompaniment of the teaching staff on piano, guitar and percussion.

In her address to the audience and pupils, Principal Ms Caitríona Campbell praised the boys for their hard work and effort, which had culminated in such a wonderfully successful evening.

She spoke of the shared pride that she herself, the school staff and their parents had of the 200 boys who had performed on the night. Ms Campbell commended the huge team effort made by all the teaching and SNA staff in in the school, she noted that it was clear from the successful staging and production on the night that it was a huge team effort. Ms Campbell also thanked the boys’ parents for their continued support of the school.