Our young players gave a superb performance at Birmingham’s beautiful Symphony Hall for the prestigious National Music for Youth Festival. The band was invited to the festival following the regional heats earlier this spring and they had a fantastic time showcasing their skills alongside some of the best known youth brass bands in the country. The adjudicators gave the band really positive feedback on their three pieces – Pirates of the Caribbean, Macarthur Park and the second movement of Windows of the World, Rainforest.

The composer of Windows of the World, Peter Graham, was a recent visitor to a Youth Band rehearsal along with Skodvin Skulemusikk band, all the way from Norway. Among the music the Norwegian band played was Peter’s Heroes of the North and it was inspiring for our youngsters to hear he’d composed it especially for this talented young band.

The youngsters have also been doing their bit for the community, playing at a summer fete fundraiser for DS West Pennine, a charity supporting families of children with Down’s syndrome. There’s a short video from this event and pictures on our Facebook page, which is a great place to keep up with our latest news.