A SCHOOL band which had their final performance snatched from them by the lockdown has found a chance to show off their work, this time to the world.

The band has been a major part of academic life for the students at Sedgefield Community College since it was launched four years ago.

Simon Ferry, the college's music teacher, set up the band, and it has been going from strength to strength every year, increasing in size.

There are currently 30 students in the band and, over time, more sections have been added, including a rhythm section.

The band also performed at the Sedgefield Snow Party in December, at the dementia café, and played carols for the town’s mayor.

Rehearsing every Tuesday, including during the current coronavirus lockdown, the band usually perform a concert towards the end of the school year. However, because the school is currently closed, this year's performance has been cancelled.

Mr Ferry still wanted to organise something to mark the end of the school year and chose to continue with the programme the band had been rehearsing.

The band performed a medley of Beatles songs from Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Eleanor Rigby to With A Little Help From My Friends, and many more to mark 50 years since The Beatles broke up.

The video of the performance, recorded via Zoom, was then edited.

Mr Ferry said he hoped the video, and performance, would bring the whole school together.

He said: “I’ve tried to keep the students of the school band performing and rehearsing as we do each Tuesday.

“So, I produced this video, hopefully, to keep them motivated and to also keep up the camaraderie that we have in the music department.

“It is ten weeks in the making, so a lot of effort has gone in to the compilation, especially given the constraints of the current Covid-world we are living.

“I always look forward to the Tuesday band rehearsals and as we are obviously not able to do a summer concert this year, which will be my last as I am moving schools, I thought it would be a fitting parting gesture, one last performance so to speak."

The video is available on the school website and on the school's Facebook page.