STUDENTS did the art of opera proud with a 'captivating' school performance.

A cast from John Mason School tested their vocal chords with the tragedy Dido and Aeneus, impressing their headteacher and a public audience.

The Abingdon secondary school rejected predictable school plays to prove opera can be accessible, with two end-of-term shows at the Amey Theatre at Abingdon School last week.

Headteacher Sarah Brinkley said: "Opera is an incredibly challenging thing to do, and it can be seen as a bit elitist.

"Some extraordinarily hard work went into the production, it was exceptional.

"I was staggered by the complexity of the piece, and the resilience and grit shown by the children to rehearse the way they did.

"The level of professionalism was quite something.

"I've been teaching for 24 years but I've never seen anything quite like it."

Students from Year 8 through Year 13 took to the stage for the tragic romance, in which witches plot to destroy a queen.

The play was written by Henry Purcell in the 17th century and involves a prince who is shipwrecked on the shores of Italy.

Mrs Brinkley said when her colleague suggested the school put on an opera, and her reaction was 'why not?'

She added: "We have got such a rich and diverse mixture of music available in the school, from folk groups to rock and choral, and some strong musicians.

"One of our driving forces is opportunity and diversity.

"You never know what the children might uncover – they might find something they love.

"They surprised themselves with what they could achieve. It really was very special.

"To take on such a challenging piece of music is brilliant for our children – it truly shows the spirit of the school, that TeamJMS can achieve anything they set their minds to."

The performances took place on Wednesday and Thursday, involving children aged between 13 and 17.

Members of the public were invited to buy tickets, along with friends and parents of those performing.

Lucie Cotmore-Brown, events co-ordinator at John Mason, said the cast 'captivated their audience'.

She added: "Whilst John Mason School is known for its fantastic biannual whole school musicals, this was a first venture into full scale opera.

"All the students rose to the challenge and produced two stunning performances."

Though the school in Wootton Road was rated 'requires improvement' earlier this year by Ofsted, inspectors praised it for ensuring pupils were 'enriched by the large number of extra-curricular activities' including 'active role in school plays'.