HARLOW Glee Club group through to perform at the Jack Petchey Glee Club Challenge Grand Final at London’s Palladium!

On Sunday 10th February, nine groups of young performers took to the stage at the Broadway Theatre Barking to compete in the Jack Petchey Glee Club Challenge Regional Final, run by the Jack Petchey Foundation. Each of the groups were competing for a spot at the competition’s Grand Final, to take place at the prestigious London Palladium!

Each group performed two songs, ranging from musical theatre classics to current pop hits. The atmosphere was electric, with so much talent all on one stage. A panel of judges, including West End star Kate Leiper and the Jack Petchey Foundation’s Jane Evans, had the incredibly hard job of choosing two of the groups to go through to the final.

The Jack Petchey Foundation’s Jane Evans said: “The standard of the groups at the Barking final was extremely high with so much energy and enthusiasm from each performance. The job of judging was not easy as there was so much variety and talent to choose from.”

Academy Arts (Epping), Barking Young and Talented (BYT) (Barking and Dagenham) and Youth Create (Harlow) were chosen on Sunday night as Regional Finalists. They have each earned a place in this year’s Grand Final on Sunday 3rd March.

Nina Jones, School Principal at Academy Arts, said: “It has been fantastic for them to work closely as a group. They have supported each other and their friendships seem to have absolutely flourished. We have had students who have only recently moved up to the upper school of Academy Arts and have now gelled with the group as if they’ve always been part of it.”

Talking of the Grand Final, Nina said: “I don’t think they could be more excited if they tried. Their parents and friends came out in their droves for the regional final and they will have even more support at the Palladium. They can’t wait to show all their friends and loved ones what they can do….and in the West End!”

Branch Director at BYT, Darnell Shakespeare said: “They’ve learnt a lot about themselves, strengths they never thought they had and skills in areas they wouldn’t have dreamed they would have. Knowing that they were good enough has been a massive thing for my group in particular.”

The Director at Youth Create, Liz Jones said: “We can’t believe that our small charity; Youth CREATE, are through to perform at the Grand Final again and this time, it’s at the London Palladium! What an amazing experience and one that wouldn’t happen without the Jack Petchey Glee Club Challenge.

We are forever grateful to Sir Jack Petchey, what an amazing man giving these opportunities to young people.”

The audience were also treated to special guest performances. West End star and judge Kate Leiper closed the show with her rendition of ‘Walking on Sunshine’. Daisy Greenwood, who was a contestant in the 2017 Glee Club Challenge and has since gone on to perform on the West End, returned to treat the audience to a beautiful rendition of ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’.

The Barking Glee Club Regional Final was the fourth and final regional of four in total, ahead of the Grand Final on Sunday 3rd March at the London Palladium. Four groups were chosen at the Chelmsford Regional Final, three groups went through from the Dartford Regional Final and two were chosen at the Enfield Regional last week.