MORE young people will be hitting the right note after Bolton Music Service announced plans to expand into a neighbouring authority.

Bolton Music Service is taking over Blackburn with Darwen Music from the start of next month

Town hall chiefs say that that two services designed to bring music to young people work together regularly and integrating the two services makes a good 'business case' with regard to Arts Council funding and providing more children the opportunity to play an instrument and perform.

Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, said: “We are very much looking forward to integrating Blackburn with Darwen Music Service with Bolton Music Service as of October 1.

"We have a long-standing relationship with Blackburn with Darwen and have worked on a number of projects together in the past.

"Combining the two services should provide us with the opportunity to trade with more schools and work with more families across the two boroughs.

"We will be able to pool resources in order to continue to maintain services in two musically thriving areas."

Bolton Music Service heads up the Greater Manchester Music Hub, which teaches about 8,000 children to play a musical instrument every week and runs 45 weekly out-of-school bands, choirs and orchestras, including T-Rock for budding rock musicians.

Now children in Blackburn will be able to benefit from those activities.

Bolton Music Service works with schools to provide instrumental and vocal music tuition, as well as the chance for youngsters to perform in concerts.

Carolyn Baxendale is head of Bolton Music Service and leads the Greater Manchester Music Hub.

A total of 122 music education hubs were set up across the country in 2012 and Greater Manchester’s includes Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan music services, along with Bolton.