13 Jul 2026
TV sensations Electric Umbrella made a triumphant return to St Albans Cathedral for their second annual Shine a Light event.
The band – which actively welcomes people with neurodivergence or disabilities – hit the headlines after reaching the semi-finals of last year’s Britain’s Got Talent.
Featuring a live band and a full programme of Electric Umbrella original songs including ‘You Should Try Smiling’ and ‘There’s No Such Thing As Normal’, Shine a Light celebrated the power of music to change attitudes, spark conversations and create a more inclusive society.
Across two hour-long performances, 1,500 children from mainstream and SEND schools came together in a musical celebration of acceptance, creativity and joy.
The event was the culmination of months of in-person workshops, online assemblies and the support of hundreds of teachers, highlighting the impact of Electric Umbrella’s work in schools across the district and beyond.
Led by learning disabled members and professional musicians including St Albans’ own Sinead Quinn, the performances encourage children to feel pride in their own identity, understand difference and challenge prejudice.
Claire Boulter, Electric Umbrella’s head of education and the Big Yellow Choir, said: “The amazing thing is that we get to do it twice in one day!
“We work with hundreds of schools throughout the year and Shine a Light helps us to bring together about 40 of those schools, both mainstream and SEND.
“It’s a collective experience, and that’s what Electric Umbrellas are all about, using music to unite people and help them express themselves.
“It’s fantastic that all of the children learn the songs at school and then come together at the Cathedral to sing them. They know every single word, and every single sign!
“We deliberately sit the schools so that the SEND schools and the mainstream schools are mixed up, and there was a gorgeous moment this morning where two little boys just met across the aisle and shook hands. They found that moment of connection, that’s what it’s all about.”
She said appearing on Britain’s Got Talent undoubtedly raised their national profile, which has spurred them on to produce more online content and reach a wider audience.
“We’ve got two schools here this afternoon that have travelled down from Walsall in the Midlands. It took them about two and a half hours to get here, but they absolutely love it, and for them to be able to come and take take part in an event where they know they’re going to feel welcomed is brilliant.
“I think performing on Britain’s Got Talent gave us that extra bit of exposure, so kids are excited when they see us. One of our members, Oliver, who is one of our wheelchair dancers, said he felt like a celebrity, because the children see his T-shirt and what that represents, and they were drawn to him.”
