THE young musicians of Bolton will get the opportunity of a lifetime tonight when they will play side by side with some of the world's greatest instrumentalists.

The boys and girls of the Bolton Youth Orchestra, all aged between 12 and 18, will get the chance to rehearse with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at their studios in Manchester.

The budding talent of the Orchestra's 45-strong membership will be tested to the limit by the session which will see them performing Brahms' Symphony No 2 under the baton of the BBC Philharmonic's Assistant Conductor, Rumon Gamba.

The visit will mark the start of a two-year relationship between the two organisations, during which members of the BBC Phil will nurture the talent of Bolton's players through a series of school visits and masterclasses.

Amanda Dorr of BBC Radio 3 said: "This is the second long term relationship the orchestra has set up. The first one was very successful."

"It is a huge difference, playing in a professional orchestra, but the children will get used to it. When you play with people better than yourselves, some of their talent inevitably rubs off on you."

Laura Henthorn, of the Bolton Youth Orchestra, agreed: "All the children are really looking forward to this exciting project. We hope our participation in this event will benefit both players and staff.

"Over the two years we hope the experience of sharing a desk with professional players, who will tutor and encourage them, will help our players forge some strong relationships."

"This is the latest in a series of exciting projects we have been involved in. We have recently played in both France and Germany and our string section has performed during the proms at the Royal Albert Halls."