COMMUNITY singing is definitely high on the curriculum at Minehead Middle School. Youngsters are regularly taught traditional hymns and songs commonly used at a wide range of events. But headteacher Paul Rushforth is keen to make sure his melodic pupils have a tune for all the big occasions in life. So he has joined forces with the vicar of Minehead the Rev Simon Lloyd and hopes to enlist the help of Free Press readers in the hunt for the top five hymns they believe youngsters should know. Mr Rushforth admitted the idea had essentially come from him. "We do particularly value the culture from which our children come, which is broadly Christian," he said. "Children do most of their community singing between the ages of nine and 13 - the ages of our pupils. "We have the opportunity to have 600 children singing together, which we frequently do, but it may be the last time they can do something like that." The school holds a daily assembly, which has a broadly Christian base and which is attended by the vast majority of pupils. "We sing modern and older hymns but we also sing the National Anthem," said Mr Rushforth. "We sing Jerusalem and Abide with Me - this is where they are going to learn the hymns which as a nation we want to be buried to and wedded to. "These compositions are an important part of our cultural heritage and a key ingredient in the making of responsible citizens who can contribute and take part in important community events throughout the year. "But who am I to judge what songs generation after generation of children should know?" Mr Rushforth said he believed it would be an interesting and useful exercise to discover people's top five favourites: "Bearing in mind the average age of people in West Somerset, I imagine the choice will be fairly traditional but we may be surprised." People have until the end of June to come up with their selections, which can be sent to Mr Rushforth at Minehead Middle School, Ponsford Road, Minehead TA24 5RH or emailed to [email protected]">[email protected].
