Once Upon a Time: Storytelling through Music

Join the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Kaapo Ijas as they open up their musical storybook and dive into the wondrous worlds inside. With presenter Claire Henry guiding the way, the Orchestra will introduce us to some famous (and infamous…) characters and we’ll explore make-believe lands from well-known stories. And, using our musical travels through magical tales as inspiration, we’ll come together to create our very own, brand-new fairytale.  

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Kaapo Ijas conductor
Claire Henry presenter
Kate Labno BSL Interpreter
Concerts last approx. 1 hour • Tuesday 23 June 2026 1.30pm
• Wednesday 24 June 2026 10.30am
• Wednesday 24 June 2025 1.30pm
• Thursday 25 June 2025 10.30am
• Thursday 25 June 2025 1.30pm

Due to popular demand, we are delighted to now be offering BSL interpretation at all five of our Key Stage 1 concerts in 2026. 

CLICK HERE TO BOOK CONCERTS 

Scheme of Work

With your booking, you will receive a free scheme of work written specifically for Key Stage 1 that explores the concert theme and content. It contains five individual lessons that can be delivered in the classroom by the class teacher, alongside recordings of some of the repertoire and additional resources to support the lessons. It will also introduce the performers and provide relevant background information to prepare for your visit. 
 
The scheme of work allows learners to develop knowledge and skills linked to the National Curriculum and will enhance their experience at the concert. Lessons will be adaptable and differentiated to suit all abilities. 

“It was helpful to know which pieces of music were going to be played ahead of time, so that we could play them and discuss them beforehand. Having the children be familiar with them prior to the concert made their enjoyment of and engagement with the concert so much greater.” – Primary Teacher, Key Stage 2 Schools’ Concerts 2025 

We will publish the scheme of work in the months prior to the concerts. It will be emailed to all current bookers at the time of publication.

 INSET Session

These free sessions will provide an introduction to the scheme of work and accompanying resources. They will offer teachers the chance to develop music teaching skills, and gain confidence in delivering the scheme of work in the classroom. 

We will update this page with the INSET session dates once confirmed. We will also communicate the dates to all bookers via email.

The Reader Storybarn School Visits

This performance has been created in collaboration with The Reader Storybarn. For details of their schools offer, please click here to find out how your group could get involved! 

How to Book the Concerts

Book now using the button above – simply select your preferred date, choose the number of tickets required, pay using a credit or debit card, and you’re all booked! 

• You are entitled to 1 free adult ticket for every 6 child tickets booked, or part thereof. For example, if you book 33 child tickets you will be entitled to 6 free adult tickets. Please select the appropriate number on the booking page.
• It is your responsibility to book the appropriate number of adult places for the number of children attending, ensuring safeguarding ratios are met.  
• You can tell us about any specific accessibility and/or parking requirements on the booking page. If anyone in your party is a wheelchair user, please ensure you select the correct ticket type when booking to allow us to allocate accessible seating to your group. If anybody in your group needs a clear view of the BSL interpreter, please let us know in advance so we can allocate your seating accordingly. 
• If you are a special school, please complete our reservation form (link below) so we can ensure that the appropriate access measures can be allocated to your group. 
• You will not receive any tickets for this event. A confirmation email will be sent once payment has been received. You will receive a full information pack nearer to the concert.
• If you cannot pay by debit/credit card and require an invoice, please use this form to request your tickets. Please note that payment must be made within 30 days of invoice issue to secure the booking. We reserve the right to cancel any booking if the invoice is not paid by the due date.

Schools booking as part of Music Education Hubs 

If you are a school booking as part of either Resonate Music Education Hub, or St Helens Music Education Hub, you should have received a promo code to book your tickets. If you haven’t received a code, please contact schoolsconcerts@liverpoolphil.com. 

Multi Academy Trusts 

If you are a Multi Academy Trust wishing to buy tickets for a number of schools (minimum 500 tickets), you can take advantage of a discounted group booking rate (£5 per child). To book your tickets, please email  schoolsconcerts@liverpoolphil.com 
 
You will need to have to hand: 
• Names of schools for each individual booking 
• The lead contact’s name and email address for each individual school 
• Numbers of child/adult tickets required for each booking 

If you have any queries, please have a look at our FAQs page here, or contact schoolsconcerts@liverpoolphil.com