Musicians rise to a royal occasion

TALENTED youngsters from Oldham visited London’s Royal Albert Hall for a majestic musical performance at the School Proms.

The Greater Manchester Music Hub, of which Oldham Music Service is a senior member, works with all schools in the region to help children pursue their musical interests.

The Greater Manchester Hub Junior Choir performed a new piece accompanied by the Greater Manchester Jazz Orchestra. Around 80 youngsters from Oldham were involved.

The piece — “Secret Music” — was composed specifically for them by composer Ed Puddick and was based on First World War reflections and a poem by Siegfried Sassoon.

Gerard Booth, director of music for Oldham, said: “This was a great occasion and also an excellent example of the GM Hub in action.

“We were all blown away by the performance. Our young people and the staff will remember this for a very long time.”