CHESTER high school students have written an original song to share with fellow students and staff in aid of medical charities.

The song, When It’s All Over, is uplifting and catchy whilst capturing the unique perspective of the teenage experience of lockdown.

It has reached over 10,000 views, been featured on Granada Reports, played on local radio and has raised more than £1,300 since its release on June 1.

Nessa Owen (Year 13), Nadzieja Nowakowska (Year 11), Lauren Haycock (Year 11), Eliana Dickinson (Year 10), Emily Neal (Year 11) and Jody Pickles (Year 13), all students of the Catholic High School, teamed up with their vocal tutor Lucy Norbury to put the song together.

Head girl of the Chester school and project member Nessa Owen said: “With half of the current band singers leaving school this year, we were unable to have an official last performance together and when Lucy gave us the opportunity to write a song with her, we were all excited.

"When we were writing the lyrics we thought about the things that we had taken for granted before we went into lockdown and how much we are looking forward to being able to enjoy the company of our friends and family again.”

Before the pandemic broke out the school had been preparing the City Jazz Orchestra’s annual summer tour led by head of music Kevin Tout.

Kevin said: "After 23 European tours and 18 years of back to back appearances at the Cork International Jazz Festival, the ensemble should have been on tour once more in July 2020 to La Rochelle, France.

"Due to the current pandemic this tour will not be taking place and our usual farewells to those students leaving for university have been cruelly cut short.

"The ensemble have a very strong bond with one another which is in no small part down to the incredible support we have from our families and staff of the school.”

Instead, the band’s singers have asked to fundraise for both ‘NHS Charities Together’ and ‘Hospice of the Good Shepherd’ with their original song.

Nessa said: “We wanted to fundraise for ‘The Hospice of The Good Shepherd’ who provide palliative and end of life care in Chester, Cheshire West and Deeside.

“We are so grateful for all of the people caring for our community in any way and just wanted to do something to help.”

Justin Caroe, community and events manager for the Hospice of the Good Shepherd, said: “We were delighted to be the chosen charity for this wonderful video.

"It really encapsulates the community that we all live in and the challenges we are all facing together currently.

"I would like to thank everyone who had an input into making this video and to those kind people who have donated in support of the hospice.

"After launching our emergency appeal at the start of lockdown it has been great to see the new and interesting ways our supporters are coming up with to raise vital funds to keep our services open.

"The effects of lock down and social distancing alongside the cancellation of events and the closure of our charity shops is significant with a potential shortfall of £1.1 million on our annual income."

Nessa added: "We also chose to fundraise for ‘The NHS Charities Together’, to show our gratitude towards the NHS and all those who continue to work so hard within it!

Stockport-based vocal tutor and director of the project Lucy Norbury is a former student of the school and is volunteer coach to the singers.

She said: “I’m lucky to work with many talented students.

"When we were not able to work together this year it was upsetting. Despite it being for a very good reason, it must have been difficult for the school body to separate abruptly.

"Teachers and other school staff form great partnerships with their students over the years and that partnership is a huge portion of all of their lives.

"The ideas that the students came up with were very moving and made this project a joy.”

Alongside the original song, another former student, Molly Johnson, now a student at LIPA (Liverpoool Insitute of Perfroming Arts), designed the powerful original artwork for the project.

Headteacher Cathryn McKeagney of the Catholic High School, Chester said: “I would like to say how proud I am of the whole of the community of The Catholic High School. An excellent project to show strength through unity.

"We have remained open during this time, however, we are looking forward to when we can all be together and certainly music will be involved!”

Singers and musicians that featured on the track are Nessa Owen, Nadzieja Nowakowska, Lauren Haycock, Eliana Dickinson, Emily Neal, Thomas Fripp, Harrison Gumery, Jason Balecke, Lucy Norbury and Elliot Barlow.

The music video was released for everyone to enjoy on June 1. It features past and present teachers, students and parents of the Catholic High School, Chester.

Head girl Nessa Owen said: “This video encapsulates how even though we can not all be physically together, our school community and friends are always there to support us and everything that we do.”

The video can be found on the 'When It’s All Over' Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/whenitsalloversbs/.

Donations for NHS and/or Hospice of the Good Shepherd can be made via https://www.justgiving.com/team/WIAOfundraiser