9 February 2026
Ten talented singers in Years 7-9, Aibee, Elizabeth, Katy, Ilesa, Alethea, Anjali, Emily, Seren, Olympia and Mariella, are currently performing - in Russian - in a production of Boris Godunov on the internationally revered Royal Opera House stage, alongside professional musicians, including Sir Bryn Terfel. Aibee tells us more about this incredible experience.
Aibee B, Year 8
In September, I was one of 10 girls who discovered we had the amazing opportunity to perform at the Royal Opera House in the Russian opera, Boris Godunov. We started by rehearsing twice a week in the Music Department to learn the Russian words and music. At first it felt a little nerve-wracking but once we had familiarised ourselves with the music, we were really excited! We then started to rehearse with the boys from Trinity School who we were performing with - it was fun visiting their school and having them come to ours too.
In December, we took our first trip to the Royal Opera House to have our costume fitting and meet some of the crew. It started to feel very real once we put our costumes on, even though they were old rags (we are playing mean street urchins)!
Once January arrived, we were frequent visitors to the Royal Opera House, with up to six rehearsals a week. It was hard work, but so worth it. As the show got closer, we were given our own dressing rooms (and mirrors with our names on!) and finally got to rehearse on the amazing stage. We felt like proper professionals, especially when we were singing with the world-class opera singers involved, including Sir Bryn Terfel. Hearing them sing is really inspiring.
The first show went by so fast, it felt surreal to be up on that stage singing! It was so much fun to be behind the curtain when it went down after the bows, as everyone backstage was so excited that our hard work had paid off.
It's been an incredible experience and I'm so grateful to have been a part of this. Thank you so much to Mr Hammond-Hall and everyone who has helped us along the way. Our last show is during the February half term break and it's going to feel a little strange when it's all over. It's been a really inspirational experience for everybody involved, and something we will remember forever!