James B Partridge, a 34-year-old music teacher from Dorset, went back to his old primary school to help mark the 70th birthday of such institutions. Partridge is well known for his high-energy, highly participatory, sing-along celebrations. He came back with his world-famous Primary School Assembly Bangers back to where it all started. This performance was a huge watershed moment for the school. It was a celebration of the deep-seated magic community and nostalgia can create to music’s most non-conventional yet powerful effect.
Between the talks, Partridge wowed the audience with acoustic renditions of popular favorites. These earworms had already shaken the rafters at mega-fests like Glastonbury and Camp Bestival. His performance proved so popular the organizers had to close off the field entirely to make room for the raucous crowd. And while the specific Cambridge reflectiveness of the first few rumbles of his giant power ballad might live and breathe in that town — well, so what.
Partridge’s travels in music started at an early age. He kicked off his vocal career with the Bournemouth Symphony Youth Chorus. He later sang with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and regularly performed at Poole Lighthouse. He recalls, “That was a very special place to experience live music and kind of set me on a path of being a professional musician.” Each of these experiences at Poole Lighthouse spurred him into developing exciting musical happenings in his own community.
When the COVID-19 lockdown lifted, Partridge went to plan his first event—his “first sing-along”—and he said the operation had “snowballed organically. He wanted to engage with friends and family, and to do it in a fun way. So, he pulled together this awesome clip called “My Top 10 Primary School Bangers” and released it on social media. The response was so profound that it compelled him to organize bigger community gatherings where everyone could come together in song.
Thinking back on his first visit to the primary school, Partridge said it was a surreal experience. “I actually judged the school talent show, and it was the first time I had been in that assembly hall since I left in the mid-90s,” he shared. His signature green coat, keyboard, and platinum blonde hair have become iconic staples of his live performance.
