A school band from Braintree hopes to hit all the right notes when it performs in Europe's biggest youth music festival.

Thirty members of the John Ray School orchestra will join 40,000 other young musicians to take part the massive nationwide event this week.

They could go on to the stage of the Royal Festival Hall if they impress audition judges - and it wouldn't be the first time.

The school has made it on no fewer than ten previous occasions.

And this year they have a secret weapon. Some multi-talented youngsters are playing as many as seven different musical instruments.

Their entry - an eight-minute piece produced by music teacher Malcolm Timms - is called A Tribute to British Wildlife, and features a grand finale of All Things Bright and Beautiful.

The orchestra has been practising twice a week for the last two months.

he tunes were written by the children and I arranged it for them to play. We are all looking forward to the concert - it gives us something to work towards so we can see what children at other schoolchildren are doing at the same age."

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