Plucky players scoop top festival prizes

Music Festival award winners (front) Richard Blythe (9 yrs), back left to right, Alex Cockburn (9 yrs) Harry Hayes (12 yrs) Harry Kilgour (13 yrs) Connor Lord (11 yrs) Luciano Phillips (9 yrs) and Leon Hurley.

Budding guitar stars from Saddleworth and Lees struck a winning chord with the judges at the Rochdale Music Festival.

The guitar section of the two-week festival is one of the largest in the UK, with around 200 children, aged from six to 18 taking part on both classical and electric guitar.

Nine-year-olds Leon Hurley and Luciano Phillips won gold and silver respectively in the nine and under group.

Both Friezland school pupils, the pair competed against 12 other young guitarists.

The guitar ensemble from St Agnes School, Lees — all under the age of 11, beat six other groups to get an “outstanding achievement” award from the judges.

And in the 10-and-under section, Alex Cockburn earned a gold, and Richard Blythe came home with a silver.

Connor Lord won a gold in the 11-and-under class, and Harry Hayes (12) earned a gold in his class.

The young guitarists are all pupils of Greenfield music teacher Hazel Davies, who said: “We had a very successful day and lots of fun too.”