Nicholas McCarthy

As part of Wellbeing Week, we welcomed a very special and hugely inspirational guest to the school on Tuesday. Nicholas McCarthy is a one-handed pianist who started playing at the age of 14, inspired by his friend playing in assembly.

As he played in the Gracey Hall to an enraptured audience, the banner on the wall proclaiming ‘Inspire a Generation’ was particularly apt. Nicholas shared his journey to success, describing how his ability was constantly underestimated, but how through sheer determination and talent he realised his dream of pursuing a career as a professional musician. He recalled receiving a call from Chris Martin, who invited him to join Coldplay at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic games. The biggest audience of his career, he gave a rendition of the Paralympic anthem in front of an audience of 86,000 people and half a billion worldwide viewers.

It was a truly inspirational evening and the message of never giving up and pursuing dreams was loud and clear!