THE town was alive with the sound of music this weekend as two concerts brought musical melodies to the town.

The Bolton Symphony Orchestra played the Victoria Hall and the Eagley Band, Smithills Community Choir and Band played the Albert Halls.

More than 500 people enjoyed the concert at the newly re-opened Albert Halls on Saturday evening.

The crowd were entertained by the Eagley Band, Smithills Community Choir and Band, with conductor Chris Wormald and Bolton pianist Robert Aston, who accompanied the choir.

The Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Roger Hayes, said: “It goes without saying that I must thank Chris and every performer straight away for another tremendous concert played to a full hall of Bolton people.

“It was another great night for the town.”

The concert was held to raise money for the Mayor’s charities, Urban Outreach, City of Sanctuary and NHS Bolton Hospital Charitable Trust.

The Bolton Symphony Orchestra played to an audience of about 1,000 people at the Victoria Hall in Knowsley Street.

Andrew Morley, a violinist with the orchestra was thrilled with the attendance for their A Night at the Symphony concert.

He said; “It went absolutely brilliantly. I was slightly worried there wouldn’t be that many people, but I needn’t have worried at all.

“It was fantastic in that respect and they were applauding very enthusiastically and everyone seemed to enjoy it.”

The audience were treated to ten pieces including a selection from Hänsel und Gretel, an opera by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck.

The Hänsel und Gretel selection was the longest piece performed on the night and the orchestra was joined by a choir of 100 primary school children from Bolton. The young singers made up the ‘gingerbread chorus’ from the 1893 opera.

The Symphony Orchestra will be performing next on Saturday, March 3, again at Victoria Hall.

The orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and be joined by cellist Jamal Alijev, who recently debuted at the BBC proms.