Lincoln siblings in orchestra going to BGT semi-final

Two children from a village near Lincoln are part of an orchestra to reach the semi-final of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent — and they are very excited ahead of this weekend’s broadcast.

Shivani and Aakash Jansari, aged 13 and 15, live in Scothern and are part of the London-based Chineke! Junior Orchestra, which will feature in the fourth semi-final due to air at 8pm on Saturday evening. Shivani plays the violin and her brother plays the cello.

Proud mother Runa Shyamali Saha told The Lincolnite that the orchestra’s semi-final audition has already been pre-recorded, but they don’t know the outcome or even which acts they will be up against ahead of Saturday’s broadcast.

She said: “The kids are really excited and can’t wait to see it on television on Saturday. I am really excited as we never really thought it would get this far, but now feel it would be really great to get an orchestra through to a final.”

Shivani Jansari, 13, and her brother Aakash, 15, loved performing on Britain’s Got Talent. Photo: ITV

The orchestra performed for Simon Cowell and his fellow judges at the London Palladium in January before the show was aired in May.

They were given a ‘yes’ from each of the four judges, as well as a standing ovation from the live audience.

After an anxious wait, Chineke! Junior Orchestra found out it had reached the semi-final of the talent show from a pre-recorded deliberation that was televised on August 30.

Runa added: “We watched the semi-finalists announcement on TV with friends who are in our social bubble. When we saw that Chineke! Juniors had made it through to the semi-finals we were really excited.

“It’s great to see young classical musicians being promoted on prime time television. It’s been amazing to see the responses from friends and family too and after the show our phones were pinging constantly with messages of congratulations.”

Shivani and Aakash who attend Horncastle Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, have been learning their instruments with local teachers for eight years and play with the orchestra, as well as with Lincolnshire Music Service and the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain.

The Chineke! Foundation was created in 2015 to provide career opportunities to established and up-and-coming Black, Asian and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe.

The orchestra announced on its website that it was “thrilled” to have made it through to the semi-final.