A CHURCH primary school has released a pop single, and an accompanying video, with the help of an ordinand who is also a composer and recording artist.

While on placement at St John’s, West Hendon, in north-west London the ordinand, Em Kolltveit, offered to run a music club for seven- to nine-year-olds at St Mary’s and St John’s C of E Primary School.

The club, Worship Warriors, did not just encourage the children to sing and perform, but also showed them how to produce a single.

Ms Kolltveit said that many children were interested in fame and celebrity, and the club gave them a chance to go behind the scenes of the music industry, showing them the hard work that went into music production.

It also gave her the opportunity to discuss issues of success and celebrity with the children. “We talked a lot about image and finding your artistic voice, and also about clothing and what artists are saying with their dress choices,” she said.

Over two terms, 25 children have taken part; 14 have progressed to the final stages. The Worship Warriors have learnt, arranged, and recorded a single, sponsored by Mill Hill Music Complex and produced by Sound Viking. The project has been based on an arrangement of the hymn “How Great Thou Art”, with a modern twist including rap and dance beats.

“The children really got into it, and we had lots of discussions about it and deeper faith issues,” Ms Kolltveit said.

The children also produced a music video to accompany the single, which can be seen on YouTube: youtu.be/jGFGrfr65lY.