Song Story

Jackdaws Song Story is a music project for SEND schools. The groups create and perform a piece of music theatre based on a well-known composer and their works, involving lots of instruments, singing, movement and acting.

The participants are supported by a team of a composer, a multi-instrument musician, a singer and an actor, who lead accessible workshops in schools including learners with a wide range of learning differences from ASD (Autism Spectrum) to PMLD (Profound, multiple learning disabilities).

Online resources are provided in advance so the groups can make a start and get excited. The team deliver the active part of the project through a range of workshops and by adding to the online resources for tailored practice in between sessions, as well as practice and further development in school. It culminates in a final performance for their community.

The project involves a professional composer, musician, actor and singer leading workshops to build a performance piece with children at SEND schools using music by the great composers as inspiration. At the end of the project, the children will perform their musical drama to audiences of their peers and parents/carers.

Song Story takes place in the summer term, involving up to six Somerset SEND schools in a creative, musical, theatrical performance! For more info contact music@jackdaws.org.

Launched in 2013 as Jackdaws’ contribution to the national Britten100 celebrations, the Song Story project was a huge success with three local schools taking part (read the report here).

Over the following years it has developed a great deal and delivered exciting performance projects to around 1000 children in SEND settings, often allowing them to gain an Arts Award qualification alongside their participation.

Song Story Archive

2026	Marvellous Mozart
2025	Vibrant Verdi
2024	Brilliant Beethoven
2023	A Bizet Bonanza
2022	Holst’s The Planets
2021	Peter & The Wolf Prokofiev
2019	Hallelujah Handel
2018	Holst’s The Planets
2017	Mozart: A Life in Symphony
2016	Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
2015	Ludwig van Beethoven
2014	Richard Strauss
2013	Benjamin Britten