Kidenza brings carnival spirit to Christ's Hospital

Once more the small but perfectly formed orchestra gave a show to remember, energetically conducted by Steve Dummer with Kidenza’s founder Claire Lambert explaining the musical joke that is Saint-Saëns’ suite.

The object of these concerts is to make classical music accessible and fun for children, and it does – the orchestra creates a relaxed and humorous atmosphere where the young audience is encouraged to join in, share their thoughts about the pieces and listen to try to work out which instrument is being used to represent the various animals.

And it’s not just for the nippers – it’s great fun for mum and dad too, and a joy to be able to enjoy live music in an intimate setting.

This suite was ideal for the younger listeners, with fun animation to help illustrate the pieces – and naughty percussionist Alex always ready with cheeky interruptions, which made the audience giggle.

A love for live music of all sorts is a wonderful thing to foster, and Kidenza help to do this not just for the youngest members of the audience, but for the parents and grandparents too – there’s never a danger that these concerts are going to be serious and stuffy! After the finale, it was great to hear so many families approaching the stage to tell the orchestra how much they’d enjoyed the show.

My family certainly agreed – another triumph for Kidenza, and we very much hope they will return with another show very soon.