HUNDREDS of school pupils raised the roof of Bolton’s Victoria Hall on the opening night of the 46th Bolton Schools’ Music Festival.

The annual event — featuring performances at the Victoria Hall every night until Friday — will see more than 2,000 children, representing 53 schools, perform massed songs and individual items, in front of packed crowds of friends and family.

Click here to see all the photographs from Monday's concert

After four months of hard work, the musical spectacular got off to a flying start on Monday night with performances from 11 schools including massed choir renditions of Doh-Re-Mi and Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

There was a wide range of songs performed by the schools, including popular numbers Lean On Me and Something Inside So Strong.

Each night’s entertainment is introduced by a different band and Monday’s event saw the Bolton Junior Concert Band kick things off in style.

There will also be a different conductor taking charge of proceedings for the school performances, with Rachel Hughes leading Monday’s concert.

On Monday Bolton Junior Concert Band, Brownlow Fold Primary School, Claypool Primary School, Eagley Infant School, Eagley Junior School, Eatock Primary School, Holy Infant and St Anthony RC Primary School, Rumworth School, Sharples School, Spindle Point Primary School, SS Peter and Paul RC Primary School, St Brendan’s RC Primary School and St Catherine’s Academy performed.

Chairman of the Bolton Schools Music Association, Trish Hughes, said: “The festival has got off to a fantastic start, our conductor Rachel Hughes directed the first massed item, Do-Re-Me, and what an amazing sound it was, we had four hundred children signing their hearts out.

There will be festival concerts at the Victoria Hall tonight, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday — with each concert beginning at 7pm.

For more information visit boltonsma.co.uk