PUPILS from a Bradford school have been crowned the winners of a Yorkshire-wide singing competition.

Dixon Music Primary’s (DMP) Young Voices have been crowned winners of the Welcome to Yorkshire and London North East Railway (LNER) competition to discover a new song to celebrate the county.

Their Treasures of Yorkshire song was inspired by the county’s diversity, history, wide-ranging attractions, features, traditions and as a fantastic place to live or visit, with some Yorkshire humour and a rousing chorus and key change at the end.

Dixons Music Primary is in the heart of Bradford, and Dixons Academies Trust challenges educational and social disadvantage by valuing diversity and building cultural capital in all of its students.

The school acknowledged that the Welcome to Yorkshire LNER Song for Yorkshire project allowed them to work collaboratively with students in difficult times during pandemic restrictions.

They were handed the trophy as a surprise at the Trinity Road school this morning.

DMP Young Voices beat off stiff competition from more than 50 entries to take the Song for Yorkshire entries, after they won a public online vote.

They were crowned winners from the final four, which were selected by lead judge Lizzie Jones and her esteemed panel of Yorkshire talent including Kaiser Chiefs’ Simon Rix, Capital Yorkshire presenter JoJo, stage and screen star Natalie Anderson, TV presenter Luxmy Gopal, LNER Commercial Director Suzanne Donnelly and producer/CEO at Sheffield Theatres Dan Bates.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Lizzie Jones hands the award to the Dixons Music Primary pupils Lizzie Jones hands the award to the Dixons Music Primary pupils

Lizzie, lead judge and soprano singer, said: “Congratulations to DMP Young Voices on a fantastic Yorkshire song that clearly captured all our hearts.

“I loved this whole approach and what the school did with such wonderful, melodic, musical magic, it’s exactly what the Song for Yorkshire competition was all about and well done to everyone involved … it was brilliant.”

James Mason, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: ”We have all been hugely impressed with the Song for Yorkshire entries and DMP Young Voices’, Treasure of Yorkshire, winning song is a fantastic celebration of the county, with so many wonderful places mentioned.

“BUT as the lyrics say ‘far too many treasures to put in one song … a list we know is endless and goes on and on’ … so true.

“Yorkshire is a beautiful, diverse county and this is a truly brilliant way to show it off, regionally, nationally and internationally with the winning Song for Yorkshire.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and places, said: “We are delighted for the children from Dixons Primary School DMP Young Voices choir, and congratulate them on their win. We are so proud of them.

“It is such a beautiful song, all about the Treasures of Yorkshire, the amazing people and things that go together to make up our fabulous county.

“We are so lucky that we get to call this place home. As the lyrics to their song say – full of history, diversity, a culture of which we are proud – sing it from the heart and sing it out loud.”

Congratulations also to the other fantastic finalists: Sam Turner – solo; Isolation Club – duo and Shared Harmonies CIC – group Winners DMP Young Voices will receive a Welcome to Yorkshire LNER Song for Yorkshire trophy, £1,000. cash prize and will perform at a top Yorkshire event TBC once lockdown lifts.