Music and Performing Arts

Unsung Heroes is a project by Cohere Arts in partnership with Suffolk Archives, Asset Education and Britten Pears Arts, made possible with funding from Heritage Lottery Fund.

The aim of the project was to engage children with their local heritage by developing skills in archive research, songwriting and performance. 13 Asset Education primary schools took part in heritage workshops run by Suffolk Archives, to find everyday heroes from their local history. Guided by historians, they delved deep into archive documents, maps and photographs to find some of the unsung heroes from each school’s neighbourhood. The children then worked with composers to co-create a song telling their chosen hero's story.

The result was the Unsung Heroes Songbook, 14 new songs celebrating everyday heroes from Suffolk's past.

The entire songbook was premiered in a concert at Snape Maltings on 18th Nov 2023, led by Choral Director Tom Appleton.

Here is a collection of our school songs, sung by the children of The Oaks.