This year’s Mardi Gras anthem celebrates the Myths and Legends of the Isle of Wight! As part of our annual partnership with New Carnival Company Hub composer Jo Downs has written a new anthem to be sung at the opening of the Mardi Gras event in July.

Here you will find performance and backing track versions of the song along with a pdf of the score and a lyrics sheet. Please feel to learn this to sing along with the school who will be leading the big song for this on the day of the event. A sign and sing video for this will also be added shortly.

Where Our Story Starts (Performance track)

Jo Downs

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Where Our Story Starts (Backing track)

Jo Downs

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Key Stage 2

Learn Makaton signs, singing and body percussion for The Wheel of The Year by Jo Downs with Southampton and Isle of Wight Music, then try it out with the performance video. This is an original song composed by Jo Downs for SIOW Music for The New Carnival Company’s annual Mardi Gras project!

LEARNING VIDEO — LEARN THE LYRICS, SINGING, BODY PERCUSSION AND THE SIGNS

PERFORM ALONG VIDEO — PLAY, SING AND SIGN ALONG THROUGH THE WHOLE SONG

MARDI GRAS SONGWRITING PROJECT, SUMMER TERM 2024, MARDI GRAS VOCAL WORKSHOP, SUMMER TERM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW CARNIVAL COMPANY

We are continuing our collaboration with The New Carnival Company to create and write with young people a new anthem to perform at Mardi Gras linked to their theme for this year. 

Schools signed up will receive a free creative workshop from the hub in the summer term to learn the chorus and create their own musical theme to sing, stomp, chant or play before the parade heads off on the day in July 2024!

You can hear the chorus for the new theme here and have a look at the music below.

The Story of Carnival

Jo Downs

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