WHEN it comes to orchestrating a publicity campaign, Smithills School's Senior Brass Band conducts itself perfectly.

During a recent weekend, the band, which includes pupils from Bolton North Sixth Form College and music teacher Chris Wormald, had more TV exposure than the Spice Girls - and even released a CD.

In three days the band made appearances on three BBC programmes.

Chris said: "Late on Thursday we were asked by BBC TV at very short notice to be filmed on Friday morning to appear on BBC1's Northwest Tonight the same evening.

"When the crew arrived, we were told an extra feature would be filmed for Newsround that same day, broadcast nationally at 5pm on BBC1.

"We were featured twice on BBC1 within two hours on the same day."

This was followed by a BBC2 documentary late on Sunday afternoon.

The band's CD, released last week, features its performances in London, Holland and at Smithills School, Bolton, between 1994/95 and 1997/98.

It also features a 24-page colour booklet outlining the band's achievements and some of its most prominent members.

Chris added: "It is worth remembering that everything you see and hear on the CD comes from comprehensive schoolchildren.

"None of them has ever paid for an instrument, paid for a lesson, ever had to audition to even get into the band, ever had to pass an entrance exam or anything else remotely 'streamed' or elitist.

"This is just what seven non-stop years has done to the school.

"And this is why sponsors like Fort James UK Ltd and Keogh Ritson Solicitors are so vital to everything we try to achieve here.

"The players have been out of this world and great ambassadors time and time again."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.