Choir in full voice at Perth Arena

A Port Kennedy primary school has been invited to participate in a choir festival that will feature 4000 students singing together at Perth Arena on Friday night.

Endeavour School’s senior choir, made up of 65 students, has been busy rehearsing for what can only be described as the opportunity of a lifetime.

The choir will be performing 10 songs alongside thousands of other WA students from 74 schools at the One Big Voice Festival.

One Big Voice, formerly known as the West Coast Songfest, was established to provide performance opportunities for developing primary school choirs 16 years ago, with this year being the first held at a large-scale venue.

Endeavour School’s music specialist Kerry Nurse said she was excited and proud of the students, who had been working hard to learn everything before the show. “Because we had participated in the West Coast Songfest at the Mike Barnett Sports Centre last year, they invited us to participate in this one,” she said. “It’s very exciting — not many schools south of the river were given this opportunity. “Parents are very supportive and realise this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for their children to sing at Perth’s best venue.”

The night will be particularly special for Year 5 student Charli Branchi, who was selected for a small vocal group to sing an extra harmony part.

“They will be singing in harmony — 2000 students are learning one part and the other 2000 are learning the other — so it’s going to sound beautiful,” Ms Nurse said.

“That is something students don’t normally get to experience in school because teaching harmony takes a lot of extra time and we don’t have it, so it’s a fantastic opportunity for the kids.”

The festival features modern, choral and fun songs, with a focus on children singing uplifting songs.