THE success of classical musician Vanessa Mae has encouraged hundreds of pupils throughout Bolton to make music -- by taking up the violin.

And the sudden popularity of the instrument has left school orchestras bursting at the seams.

Many children are opting to learn to play the violin rather than the double bass, bassoon, trombone, tuba and oboe which are regarded as being rather old fashioned.

Government advisors are so concerned about the lack of interest in some musical instruments that they have devised a national campaign to rescue them from obscurity.

The National Foundation for Youth Music is spending £800,000 helping schools and local education authorities buy bass instruments.

But one Bolton secondary school is not following the national trend as it still has as many youngsters wanting to take up the trombone as the violin.

Chris Wormald, head of music at Smithills School, says he has seen many "fads" with youngsters taking up whatever musical instrument is trendy that particular year.

He said that in the 1970s the majority of youngsters wanted to learn the flute following the huge popularity of James Galway and is not surprised that the violin is suddenly in favour.

Mr Wormald, who has taught pupils at Smithills for 12 years, said: "The clever kids here know that if they pick a more unusual or difficult instrument, they've got a better chance of being promoted quickly!"