St Anne’s Primary Choir hits 10 million views after Champions League showstopper

St Anne’s Roman Catholic Primary School pupils are celebrating after their choir performance at a recent Manchester City vs Galatasaray clash racked up more than 10 million views on Instagram, capturing hearts across the globe.

What began as another proud night at the Etihad has turned into a viral sensation and a moment the children and staff will never forget.

A viral Champion’s League moment

The choir were invited to perform ahead of the Champions League fixture, singing Manchester City favourites before seamlessly launching into Galatasaray’s anthem - in Turkish.

The reaction inside the stadium was electric. Supporters raised their phones; applause rang out and within hours clips of the performance were circulating online. Days later, the view count had soared into eight figures.

For choir leader Mrs Derbyshire, who has run the group for more than eight years, the viral moment is simply the latest chapter in a remarkable journey.

Mrs Derbyshire told the Tameside Reporter: “In the early days we might have had 25 or 26 in the choir. Now there are always over 30 wanting to take part and we can only take around 20 to City.”

Ten days to learn a new language

Behind every polished stadium performance is a whirlwind of preparation.

With just 20 minutes of choir time per week, and often only a few weeks’ notice from the club, Mrs Derbyshire’s task is far from simple.

“They give us the anthem they want, and I panic and look for the music online,” she laughed. “You can never find the sheet music. I have to sit with my iPad, pressing play and stop, working it out on the piano.”

Mrs Derbyshire also painstakingly writes out the lyrics phonetically so the children can pronounce them correctly.

“I give them about ten days. Then we do a word check and see who looks like they know it best. That’s how we choose.”

The St Anne’s choir has now performed in a variety of languages including Dutch, Czech, Spanish, French, Turkish and German, a remarkable achievement for a primary school group.

“This one was really catchy,” she said of the Galatasaray anthem. “It had chanting in it, which made it easier and they all knew it really well.”

The hardest part

With more pupils wanting to take part than places available, selection can be bittersweet.

“That’s the hardest bit of the job,” Mrs Derbyshire admitted. “I’d love to take everyone.”

Some pupils who missed out on this particular fixture had recently performed at the prestigious Bridgewater Hall, after being invited to sing at a Young Lives vs Cancer charity concert.

“They heard us singing at Ryecroft Park on Remembrance Sunday and invited us to perform,” she said. “There was a huge adult choir, NHS choir and the fire brigade band - it was incredible.”

Balancing opportunities fairly is a constant challenge, but Mrs Derbyshire says the children handle it with maturity.

“They’re grown up about it. They support each other.”

A special relationship with City

Manchester City F.C. through its City in the Community programme, has worked closely with the school over the years, inviting the choir back time and again.

“It feels like a partnership, we’re so lucky to keep being invited.”

The choir’s performances follow a now-loved formula: beginning with “Boys in Blue”, before slipping into the visiting team’s anthem mid-song, then returning to finish the City favourite.

“The reaction is always amazing,” she said. “You see the phones come out straight away.”

Children at the school previously sang at City’s treble celebration, performing “Blue Moon” and even “Wonderwall” in front of players and manager Pep Guardiola.

“We’ve got a video of Pep sitting on a speaker with a bottle, joining in,” she smiled. “It was unbelievable.”

Giving up lunchtimes for the love of music

Commitment is key. Rehearsals take place during lunchtime, with pupils giving up their free time to practise.

“They’re so dedicated,” Mrs Derbyshire said. “When we get to the stadium, they’re impeccably behaved even though there’s a lot of waiting around.”

Now, with their latest performance surpassing 10 million Instagram views, the choir members are enjoying their moment in the spotlight.

“I keep stopping them in the corridor telling them how many views it’s on now,” she laughed.

For the children, it’s a memory that will last a lifetime.

“I think this will be the thing they always talk about,” she said. “When they’re older and have kids of their own, they’ll say, ‘I sang at City.’”

The choir performing at Manchester City. Credit: Galatasaray TikTok