Local schoolchildren have been given the chance to work with one of Britain's leading composers on a new movement for a much-loved classical favourite, thanks to a Cambridge College.

Year Seven pupils (11 to 12-year-olds) from Netherhall School in Cambridge have been collaborating with the composer Christopher Fox on a new piece for ‘Carnival Of The Animals' – originally written in the 19th century by Camille Saint-Saens.

The project has been set up by St Catharine's College, one of the 31 colleges that make up the University of Cambridge. The five-minute work will receive its premiere during a performance of the entire suite this Friday (March 2nd), in front of a specially-invited audience of local schoolchildren and their families.

The partnership is one of a series of musical collaborations set up by the college as part of its Kellaway Chamber Music Series. A late fellow of the college, Donald Kellaway, left St Catharine's a sum to support a concert series that would allow professional and student musicians to work and perform side by side.

Dr Edward Wickham, Director of College Music, said: “St Catharine's has one of the strongest musical traditions of all the Cambridge Colleges – not just because we have a large number of students studying music but because of the wide variety of concerts and musical performances we arrange.

“It is important to us that as much of that as possible involves the wider community. Over the past three years we have been working to develop our educational role by promoting collaborative music projects with schools in Cambridgeshire and beyond. Hopefully by having the chance to work with some of music's top professionals at this early stage, the children involved will feel inspired to study and perform music themselves.”

Christopher Fox, a renowned composer and teacher of new music, has been working with the pupils from Netherhall since last year. The group started in November by brainstorming their ideas for the piece, then went on to produce a full score. Preparations are now underway for this week's debut performance.

The joint project with Netherhall follows a highly successful performance of Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde, in collaboration with schoolchildren from Ely. Guest artists such as the organist David Goode, percussionist Colin Currie and baritone Stephen Varcoe have also visited St Catharine's to run masterclasses or workshops as part of the Kellaway series.

Staff from St Catharine's have also been visiting some of Cambridge's schools over the last few weeks to talk to youngsters about ‘Carnival Of The Animals', which since its composition in 1886 has become a firm favourite among children and music teachers alike.

The first public performance of the new movement for ‘Carnival Of The Animals' will take place on Friday March 2nd, 2007, at Emmanuel United Reformed Church in Cambridge.

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