Sounds good to us

Primary school pupils perform in a brass band concert (with plastic instruments) at Mossley Hollins High School.

NEVER mind the best of brass, a Mossley school is putting pride in plastic to ensure the future of a great local musical tradition.

Mossley Hollins High School is aiming to ensure brass bands are here for generations to come by using a revolutionary technique to teach primary school children how to play the instruments.

In a UK first, the school has undertaken a scheme which swaps the more expensive, heavy and cumbersome brass versions for more child-friendly, plastic counterparts.

With the help of music company Korg, the school is using special instruments imported from China with 120 pupils from feeder primary schools now undergoing tuition.

And pupils got a chance to blow their own trumpet at a special concert at the school last week when they put what they’ve been learning to the test.

Steve Beardmore, head of arts and sports, said: “Pupils learn in the primary schools on these instruments before transferring to brass instruments when they start at Mossley Hollins.

“This shows that despite cutbacks in provision it is possible to really enable youngsters to learn and enjoy playing music together in what we hope will be a lifetime pursuit.”