

13
And even after the founding
members have left College, the
demand for them remains and
their legacy lives on. Joined by
two current Post-16 students
(myself and KatherineWelsh)
the Belle Ayres were asked to
perform one more time: at the
Darley Park Concert 2015.With
many of the group parting to
follow university pathways,
we decided to go out with a
bang by dazzling the audience
with our best set yet.We were
all excited to bring out the air
hostess costumes one more
time! Knowing that thousands
were expected to attend
definitely made me nervous;
I had never sang to so many
people before! But singing with
such amazing and professional
performers beside me took the
weight off my shoulders and
allowed me to rise to
the occasion.
After a week of hard-working
rehearsals, we created a 15
minute powerful medley of
songs, with seamless transitions
and smooth choreography to
really give it a professional edge.
Our mix included a combination
of timeless classics with modern
songs to be able to entertain
all ages on the night; suitable
as the Darley Park Concert
is family-friendly event. Our
nerves grew throughout the
day of the concert, as sound
checks were completed and
the audience started filling
the vast space in front of the
stage. Once the concert began
and the first acts performed
to the enormous crowd before
them, we were called and took
our position at the side of the
stage. As the hosts announced
us onto the stage, my heart sank
as I began to walk on in front
of the thousands of people. But
as we began, my nerves started
to melt away and I grew in
confidence due to the positive
reaction that the audience gave
us, including singing along and
applauding between each song.
As we hit our final notes the
response from the crowd was
overwhelming. The night was
certainly a success, and the
Belle Ayres went out with a
bang, just like the fireworks at
the end of the night.
Jadyn Thompson
,
Year 13
The BelleAyres GoOutWith a Bang!
The Belle Ayres were originally a performance group created during Post-16 Performing Arts, but their
success took off in a major way; getting paid to do performances, such as the opening of the Velodrome.
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Autumn 2015