Youngsters and elderly people are joining forces for a cross-generational music initiative.

Students from Chyngton and Cradle Hill Primary Schools located in Seaford are participating in a five-week programme alongside inhabitants of Port Manor Care Home through the Intergenerational Opera scheme, which unites different age groups through song.

Established in 2019, the venture was created by professional vocalists Charlotte Wicks and Charlotte Shaw.

Charlotte Wicks, one of the founders, stated that they consider opera to be something everyone can enjoy and that it provides a way to connect with feelings that might otherwise be hard to express.

She explained that participants absorb music from a chosen opera by listening, compose their own pieces, and develop their own interpretation of the work.

Her colleague added that this undertaking is distinctive and designed to give those involved a feeling of accomplishment and personal connection to the music they will present in their concluding showcase.

This year’s presentation will draw from Bizet’s Carmen, with those taking part singing, playing conventional Spanish drums and executing flamenco-style movement.

To gather money for the initiative, Wicks alongside three fellow professional singers and their keyboard player will present an opera evening at St Mary’s Church in Newick on May 17 beginning at 7.30pm.

Admission is priced at £15 and reservations can be made by contacting intergenopera@gmail.com.