Neverending Top Ten #6.2: Sam's Big Week

Sam had a busy week last week. On Tuesday night, he joined over 300 kids from schools all over the region to perform in a giant choir in Huddersfield Town Hall. As you'll see from the image above (one I found online - we weren't allowed to take photos of the actual concert, GDPR and all that), it's an especially grand stage to perform on, and we were so proud of Sam, because unlike many of the other kids who were understandably nervous, he sang his heart out, putting some real expression in and quite a few (subtle) dance moves. Don't get me wrong, I doubt he's destined for chart success, but he sings as well as any other 9 year old. And he even got to play the kazoo in "Consider Yourself".

I've been on that stage a couple of times myself. Firstly, I played in a brass band contest there when I was a teenager, then a little later it's where I graduated, collecting my degree certificate in cap and gown in the summer of 1994. Almost 30 years ago. 

A couple of years later, I saw these guys there... 

Huddersfield Town Hall is not often used as a live music venue, but I probably have seen a couple more acts there. The Shirehorses are the only ones I can remember without consulting my big scrap book of tickets though.

Back to Sam's big week...

The following day, show-tunes still ringing in his ears, Sam went to Maths HQ. In our heads, this was an abandoned volcano that had been taken over by Maths teachers, although in reality it was a pretty average-looking building in Skelmanthorpe. And it turns out it wasn't actually called Maths HQ at all, but he was going there for Maths. See, Sam had been chosen to represent his school in an inter-schools times tables competition. Pitted against kids from loads of other schools in the area, he took part in a knockout tournament of rapid-fire times tabling. 

5 x 7? 6 x 12? 9 x 8? 

You had three seconds to answer or you were out. 31 kids took part. 10 fell in the first round. 

4 x 9? 3 x 6? 8 x 7? 

And on it went. They brought down the time you had to respond. First two seconds... then one. In the end, there were just 4 kids still standing... but none of them would get an answer wrong. And so... they switched to division. 

18 ÷ 3? 21 ÷ 7? 72 ÷ 8? 

Three kids left. Then just two. 

54 ÷ 6? 121 ÷ 11? 2 ÷ 1? 

There could only be one winner.

And somehow, Sam did it. 

Football star. Chorister. Maths whiz-kid. I don't know where he gets it from, but he surely doesn't get it from me.

Well done, buddy, we're so proud of you.

This was the best song I heard the massed choir sing on Tuesday night. "That's not from a musical!" I hear you cry. Which is probably why it was the best song. (Apparently it's in Shrek: The Musical.) I was impressed that the music teacher hosting the event knew its origins - before the Monkees got hold of it, this was a Neil Diamond composition. To be fair, Mickey, Davy, Mike and Peter improved on the original, but I still like to give Neil's version a spin every now and then. Won't have a word said against him.