Liverpool: School choir sings in honour of Paul O'Grady

Photo credit: Wirral Council.

Pupils of the St Joseph's Catholic Primary School choir were invited to perform at a special event honouring former pupil, the actor and comedian Paul O'Grady.

Earlier this year, the late Paul O'Grady was posthumously awarded the Freedom of the Borough award from Wirral Council, the highest honour the council can bestow on one of its citizens for his outstanding contributions to the community.

Following the news, a heart-warming tribute was broadcast on ITV with pupils of St Joseph's speaking about Paul and how he will be remembered.

The event was held at Birkenhead Town Hall for Paul's family and friends to celebrate him receiving such an esteemed accolade. A member of Wirral council contacted St Joseph's to invite the school choir to perform at the event.

The St Joseph's choir, consisting of 22 pupils, delivered a fantastic performance of 'Thank You for Being Our Friend', originally sung by The Golden Girls, and a magical rendition of 'This is Me' from The Greatest Showman.

Emotions ran high during the performance, with several pupils moved to tears as they sang. One pupil, Ava Cairns, said: "It was a pleasure to sing for the family - I felt happy and sad. Sad because he has passed away."

Another pupil, Ella Collins, said: "I was a bit nervous at first, but when I saw how happy they were to hear us sing, I felt quite emotional."

Noah Birchall said: "I was privileged our choir got to sing, and it was nice to see how much people enjoyed it even though they probably felt quite sad inside."

All pupils shared in the sentiment of how privileged they were to honour such a local icon.

Niamh Meenan said: "It felt amazing to sing for someone who was so famous in this area, and we were able to show his family how much he meant to us."

Head of School at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Alex Turner, said: "It was an honour for our school choir to perform at such a special event.

"No matter where our pupils go, they will always remain part of the St Joseph's family. We are privileged to be a small part of Paul's heritage and will always honour the outstanding contributions he made to the community.

"We are extremely proud of how our pupils conducted themselves, demonstrating respect for Paul's family and friends, and delivering a fantastic performance. They represented our school incredibly."

The St Joseph's choir previously performed at the Freedom of the Borough when it was awarded to the families of the Hillsborough tragedy.

Located on Woodchurch Road, Birkenhead, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a place where faith, values, learning and creativity come together as one. Follow @stjosephsbh on Twitter for more information. The school is part of the Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust.

LINK

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School: www.stjosephscatholicprimarybirkenhead.co.uk/