The Ballacottier Primary School choir had the opportunity to perform alongside Russell Watson at the Gaiety Theatre last week.

Led by Katie Lawrence and accompanied by Dave Holland, the students performed a wide array of songs, including ‘You Raise Me Up’ with Russell himself.

Ballacottier headteacher, Riss Forrester, said: ‘It was a truly memorable night for our pupils – something we know they will remember forever.

‘A huge thank you to Katie, Dave, the Gaiety Theatre team, and Russell for giving our pupils such an experience.’

The tenor singer’s ‘From Me To You’ tour kicked off at the Gaiety on Wednesday and will now go on to locations such as Poole, Bury, Derry and Belfast until April 25.

The 58-year-old has released singles and albums of both opera and pop-style, and has sold more than seven million albums worldwide.

This year’s tour marks 25 years since Russell released his first album ‘The Voice’, which went on to become the biggest selling UK classical album of all time and one of the top two best-selling classical albums of the century.

Ballacottier were selected to take part in the concert out of a number of primary schools due to their ‘enthusiasm’ to perform.

Talking prior to last week’s show, Russell said: ‘We do occasionally get local choirs and performers involved in our shows.

‘More often than not, we'll hold a competition to find the likes of a local brass band, choir, or even a solo singer. We thought on this occasion that we would look for a local choir and the Ballacottier choir really stood out.

‘It will be lovely. They sounded very sweet and enthusiastic about what they were doing, and that's what got it over the line as we were presented with a lot of choirs to choose from.’

Russell has now released over 10 studio albums, with the latest, ‘Shine’, being a collaboration with British singer Helen Jane Long released in 2024.

Asked if he still enjoys performing as much as he used to, Russell said: ‘After all these years I'm more at ease with everything that I do. I don't know why, I just don't feel the same pressure that I used to feel 20 odd years ago.

‘I go out there and deliver what I deliver, and it just feels pressure free. I love what I do, and I still fully enjoy performing and singing.’