Pupils at Witcham and Mepal School tackled an ambitious production for their end of year show this year.

All the school’s 61 pupils performed Noye’s Fludde, the one-act opera by British composer Benjamin Britten based on the Chester ‘mystery’ or miracle play which tells the story of Noah’s Ark.

The ambitious project saw the school recruit help from students from neighbouring Witchford Community College as well as adult members of the community.

The musical accompaniment was also given a boost with outside help from an array of organisations including the Buckden Handbell Ringers, Cambridge Recorder Players, Ely Sinfonia, a Cambridge-based string quartet, percussion and strings by Witchford students.

Local businesses sponsored the two performances, one at the school and the second to a packed audience at St Andrew’s Church in Sutton, which married up with Britten’s own specifications that the opera should be performed in a church or large hall and not a theatre.

Consultant headteacher Judith Skelton at the school in Mepal said: “It was a very ambitious production, I have done it with schools in the past but never with so few children. Our pupils provided the animal chorus as well as the raven and the dove, played by Joshua Sutterby and Chelsea Rayner.

“The church was packed and the show was absolutely fabulous, very moving and very inspirational. I am sure the children will remember this for the rest of their lives.”