YOUNG musicians will be banging the drum for their school when they perform at the World Music Contest in Kerkrade, Holland, this summer.

Smithills School’s Senior Brass Band and Senior Symphonic Wind Band have been invited to take part in the contest for a fourth time.

And the current world and national champions will be defending their titles against seasoned performers from across the globe.

Assistant headteacher and conductor Chris Wormald said: “Smithills School Senior Brass Band has won on each of its three appearances in the World Music Contest and this summer will defend its title as World Champions once again.”

He added: “In 2005 Smithills beat all the bands in its section, all of which were adult, not youth bands. The judges included the American composer James Curnow and the winning Smithills performance featured the set test piece Hinemoa by Gareth Wood and A Cambrian Suite by Michael Ball.”

In July the band will perform the set test piece Lake of the Moon by Kevin Houben, immediately followed by Music From Kantara by Kenneth Downie in the Parkstad Limburg Theatre, Kerkrade.

Two weeks later, the Smithills School Senior Symphonic Wind Band, again conducted by Mr Wormald, will perform the set test piece Invocation And Toccata by James Barnes immediately followed by Prelude, Siciliano And Rondo by Malcolm Arnold at the same venue.

Both Smithills bands heading for the 2009 World Championships are the current National Festival of Music For Youth champions in the UK having won on successive days at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham, last July.