Former Telford students 'blown away' as Sir Elton John sees lockdown promise through
Sir Elton John's lockdown promise has been seen through, as former Telford pupils had their dreams come true at the star's farewell tour.
In the depths of the pandemic back in 2020, students of Telford Priory School remotely performed Sir Elton John's I'm Still Standing with their teacher, Ben Millington, the school's head of music and performing arts.
As the world grappled with isolation, the heartwarming video tribute made its way around the world.
After spotting the viral video, Sir Elton promised the Telford Priory School students tickets to a future show.
In a video message at the time, the star told pupils he had watched the video three times and was "completely blown away" after being sent the students' video by a friend during lockdown.
The singer, currently undertaking his final 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour, kept his promise and invited the, now former, pupils and staff along to his Birmingham show on Saturday.
Mr Millington said it was their turn to be "blown away".
"It was amazing. We were really well looked after, everything they said they would do, they did," he said.
"We had VIP tickets, right in front of the stage within arm's reach of the piano where Elton was performing.
"We had the chance to meet him backstage before he went on, had a quick photo and he said some absolutely lovely stuff. Then we went and enjoyed the show.
"He even did a shout out to us, just before I'm Still Standing. We were blown away, everyone was so grateful for the opportunity. To be praised by someone of that calibre - we were just totally blown away."
A video from Sir Elton's performance showed the star praising the pupils.
He told the crowd: "Their version of I'm Still Standing just made me feel so good, it just blew me away... They're here tonight, thank you guys, for doing this."
Mr Millington, who was recognised with a Telford & Wrekin Hero Award for his efforts during lockdown, explained how the show felt symbolic for the attendees, who had struggled so much throughout the lockdown.
He added: "Something really, really bad happened when Covid hit and we all had to lock away.
"We did 52 music videos collaborating with talented students and musicians from around Shropshire, and what came from that - it's been incredible. The show was a really lovely way to finish it."
The creations of Mr Millington and the Telford secondary school can be found on Facebook @telfordpriorymusic and @benmillingtonmusic
