A wannabe musician has been challenged to learn the saxophone from scratch - in just two weeks

John Rawnsley has wanted to learn the sax since he was a boy.

Musical challenge - John Rawnsley has just two weeks to learn the saxophone

Now he is 40 and is trying to make up for lost time by learning the instrument in a fortnight and then performing to a crowd in Chelmsford town centre.

Mr Rawnsley, of Notley Road, Braintree, was set the challenge by BBC Essex radio as part of Chelmsford Civic Theatre's community music day.

The saxophonist has been learning to play since last Friday and hopes to be ready to perform in the centre of Chelmsford next Saturday

He said: "My instructor seems confident I will be ready in time and says she wouldn't let me on stage if I wasn't, but I am still nervous.

"I am worried that when I perform in front of people, I will dry up."

He added: "I have already had to learn a lot. I didn't even know how to read music and I have had to practise hard on my breathing and finger dexterity."

He is due to perform on the BBC Essex stage by the town sign in Chelmsford, near Woolworths, at 2.45pm on June 28

Published Wednesday, June 18, 2003

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