MORE THAN 150 young singers and instrumentalists from South Gloucestershire have appeared on stage the Royal Albert Hall, performing as part of the world’s largest youth music festival.

Working alongside Gloucestershire Music and the Bath and North East Somerset Music Service, the group performed on the iconic stage on Monday, November 14 for the Music for Youth Proms.

With only three performances available, one on each night of the Proms, the group made it past the final 11 shortlisted applications.

The South Gloucestershire Wind Orchestra combined joined similar ensembles from the other hubs, with 97 South Gloucestershire students from 18 schools made up the choir as part of a 450 strong mass performance.

The combined performers gave the world premiere of ‘A Shakespeare Tryptich’, composed by Philip Harper to celebrate the 400th birthday of Shakespeare. A 10-minute piece split into three sections, with a composer from each of the three local authorities providing a theme to be incorporated.

Christine Wright, teaching and learning adviser at the South Gloucestershire Music Hub said: “By working in partnership with two other music hubs we were able to win one of three prestigious massed performance opportunities at this year’s Music for Youth Prom.

“Our new commission, it is hoped, will become a firm favourite within the wind band repertoire and provides an exciting challenge for our students. We are really excited about the performance and proud of our students.”