Voices of Hope and Compassion

Cambridge Corn Exchange, Sunday 22nd June

This year, LVC musicians and dancers once again had the privilege of taking part in a deeply moving concert at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, marking the end of National Refugee Week.

The journey began in January, when poet, broadcaster, and friend of LVC, Michael Rosen, visited our school. During his visit, he led a powerful poetry workshop for all our Year 7 students, sharing personal and emotional stories about his family’s experiences during the Second World War.

One of the stories he told was about his great-uncle, Martin Rozen, who disappeared during the war. He was a Polish Jew who lived for a time in the village of Sainte-Hermine in the Vendée region of France. In 1944, Martin was arrested and later deported to Auschwitz, where he was killed. Michael spent decades uncovering the truth about Martin’s fate- visiting Sainte-Hermine, speaking with local residents, and piecing together the fragments of his story. This inspired his poem “Memories, Sad Memories” and his book One Day.

During his visit to Linton, Michael met with our dance company and GCSE musicians, sharing with them a letter he had received from the town clerk of Sainte-Hermine, who remembered seeing Martin when she was a young girl on her way to school each day.

Inspired by Martin’s story, our dancers spent six months creating a poignant and powerful piece of choreography under the direction of our Head of Dance, Mrs Helen Frost. The original music was composed by Meredith Beach (Year 10), who also contributed to the creative direction of the piece.

Sunday’s concert was the culmination of this collaborative effort. Four poets from Year 7 read out the poems that they had written at the workshop with Michael. We. The dance company performed their dance alongside live musicians, with Michael Rosen himself reading “Memories, Sad Memories” live on stage. It was a proud moment for LVC- an opportunity to use the arts to express empathy, compassion, and remembrance, while also raising funds for local refugee charities in Cambridge.

The event also gave our students the chance to perform in a professional venue, with sound and lighting. We were very pleased to share the stage with performers from Chesterton Community College, Parkside College, and the Linton Heights Junior School Choir directed by Mrs Emma Mason.

We now look forward to next year’s event, which will celebrate Michael Rosen’s 80th birthday. We hope to welcome him back to LVC soon.