All four performances sold out for The Glass Knight, the schools’ opera performed at Saffron Hall this month.

The opera, inspired by an ancient legend about the town, was specially written by composer, Philip Sunderland to be performed by pupils at Saffron Walden County High and the town’s seven primary schools.

Pupils took part from R A Butler, Newport Primary, Great Chesterford Primary, St Thomas More Catholic School, Katherine Semar Junior School and St Mary’s and Radwinter Church of England Primaries.

Natalie Ellis, learning and participation director at Saffron Hall said: “The show was really fantastic and we have had great comments from people in the audience. It really surpassed all expectations. The children had fun and learned a lot.”

She added: “This was a partnership between Saffron Hall and the schools. It was a local story, written by a local composer, specially for young people in the town.”

The opera’s story was based on the legend of the Saffron Walden Basilisk a monstrous serpent which attacked the town in the late middle ages.

The town was saved by a glass knight. The story is told in the opera by four ghosts meeting in St Mary’s Church to recount a tale of fear and bravery.