THE Brass band at Towneley High School, Burnley, are busy preparing for their two most important events of their year.

On Saturday, February 5, they will compete in the National Youth Brass Band competition at Salford University and a week later will be at the Winter Gardens ballroom, Blackpool, to compete in the Action Research Youth Entertainment Championship of Great Britain.

Band members are already on a high note having just appeared at the International Tuba and Euphonium Festival at the Royal Northern College of Music.

They were the only youth band at the festival and were invited to play by the festival artistic director and head of wind and percussion at the college, James Gourlay.

Dave Warren, musical director of the band, said: "It was a huge privilege for the band to be invited to such an important international festival. To rub shoulders with some of the finest brass musicians in the world and with some of the best brass bands was a tremendous experience."

To help prepare for the new challenges the band will be put through its paces by principal players from the William Fairey Band: principal cornet, Brian Taylor, principal horn, Sandy Smith, principal euphonium, David Thornton and principal tuba, Sean Crowther, who will be at Towneley on Tuesday to work with the whole band.

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