Scottish Catholic Observer

Children from across the East End of Glasgow came to St Anne’s Primary last week to launch a song for the Commonwealth Games alongside famous musicians and a Celtic FC star.

Helped by Freddie Cowan, lead guitarist from The Vaccines, the Glasgow pupils performed their song Let the Games Begin in front of national media and special guests, including Celtic footballer Adam Matthews, whose club assisted in the recording of the song (right).

Let the Games Begin is being released to raise money for UNICEF, with 76p from each sale going to the children’s charity.

The idea for the song came from a conversation between St Anne’s teachers and The Vaccines guitarist Mr Cowan, who has been involved with the school since inviting pupils to London to perform an anti-sectarianism song they had made. Inspired by the Commonwealth Games, they set to work recording the single, assisted by local songwriter Jonathan Carr—who worked on St Anne’s anti-sectarianism song—pupils from schools in the St Mungo’s Learning Community, and supporting organisations including Celtic FC and UNICEF.

Going under the name East40, the pupils have now released the single on iTunes and hope to see it race up the charts.

Speaking to the SCO, Mr Cowan said that for him it doesn’t really matter where the song charts.

“For me it’s really about what the children get from the experience and the message it gives out,” he said. “I remember when I was seven years old seeing a guitarist at the school assembly. I didn’t know it at the time but it put me on a path. I’m not saying everyone here is going to do music but if you want to do something it is possible. Music is really important for children’s education, their personalities, everything.”

Mr Cowan also praised St Anne’s headteacher Louise Hamilton as an ‘incredible woman who puts everything into her school’ and said the song proves that we are living in a world where you can do anything if you the have the right application.

“It’s an amazing, inspirational experience for the pupils and it is a great song,” the guitarist said. “All music is like a snapshot in time and that is the case here. Obviously it stands up on its own but it is really a snapshot for the Commonwealth Games.”

The song features powerful vocals from precocious talents Jamie Leigh Smith, 16, and Abigail Clark, 14, both pupils at St Mungo’s Academy.

“I don’t even know what to say; I’m blown away by it all,” Jamie Leigh said, with Abigail adding that it was amazing working with a pop star. Both girls are backed on the single by children of different ages from schools across Glasgow’s East End. Laiha, 11, from St Denis’, Dennistoun, said her parents didn’t believe her when she told them she would be singing with a famous musician. Heidi, 9, said it felt great to be raising money for charity. Reuben, 10, said the experience was amazing and really fun while fellow singers Drew and Murron, both 11, said that Mr Cowan was very caring and had done a lot for the school and that it is hard to describe how good it felt to have such an amazing opportunity. “It has made me really confident,” added Skye, a 10-year-old member of the choir.

Jonathan Carr, who wrote the song and plays piano on it, said he got involved to try and inspire the children. “Growing up in a similar school environment I know that if I was a young child and I was able to get involved in something like this it would have a great impression on me. If it can inspire children to get involved with music or the arts then it is worth it. They can do absolutely anything they want to do if they put their mind to it. This is just the beginning.”

A number of headteachers and staff from the schools involved attended the song’s launch and were full of praise for their pupils. Mrs Hamilton, headteacher at St Anne’s, said all the children were wonderful singers. “Abigail and Jamie Leigh are absolutely sensational. It is a moment in all the children’s lives that they will absolutely never forget. I can already see them growing in self-confidence. They are really enjoying all of this.”

— Let the Games Begin is now available on iTunes with 76p of the £1.29 download going to UNICEF to help change children’s lives in Scotland and around the world

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— Pic: Paul McSherry
—This story ran in full in the May 9 print edition of the SCO, available in parishes.