MEMBERS of a school band will be rolling in brass thanks to an unprecedented invite to a premier music festival.

The teenagers from Smithills School Senior Brass Band have become the first young musicians invited to take part in an annual event normally reserved for the "adult elite".

And as a result, the band will earn their biggest single fee for appearing in one concert -- almost £2,000.

The Stroud Festival of Brass is the equivalent of the main Edinburgh Festival in terms of prestige and honour within the brass band world.

The Smithills School band, which incorporates students from Bolton Sixth Form College, has been invited to participate in the world famous festival by giving a full concert on the evening of Saturday, October 20, at 7.30pm.

Adult

Chris Wormald, conductor and director of music, said: "We are the first band outside the adult elite to be invited to take part.

"Since we were founded more than 30 years ago, the festival has only ever been open to the very best.

"Every year, each concert out of the 10 fortnightly series sells out all 800 seats without fail.

"The festival is a subscription series of 10 brass band concerts held throughout 20 weeks each Autumn and Winter in Stroud and there is such a long waiting list for tickets and should anyone be unable to attend a concert for any reason, returns are snapped up instantly.

"Festival founder, Tony Wyatt, rang me to ask if we would take part as a result of our excellent reputation for live concerts, our CDs and our recent live performance on Blue Peter."