PETERBOROUGH ZINGT! 2025

In early 2025, 90 pupils from Hampton College, Hampton Lakes, and Hampton Gardens Schools in Peterborough took part in Peterborough Zingt!, a vibrant cross-communal music project exploring Yiddish culture through song.

Led by composer Joseph Finlay and supported by a dynamic klezmer ensemble—Josh Middleton (accordion), Dan Gouly (clarinet), Francesca Ter-Berg (cello), and Simon Roth (drums)—the project introduced children to the rich world of Yiddish music. Over weekly sessions, pupils learned to sing, speak, and read songs in both Yiddish and English, gaining insight into Jewish cultural heritage in a region with limited exposure to Judaism.

The project culminated in a joyful Purim celebration, where students performed for a large audience of peers and families, accompanied by live klezmer music. Peterborough Zingt! offered a unique opportunity for cultural exchange, using music as a bridge to foster understanding, creativity, and confidence.