YOUNG musicians in the Bolton area are looking forward to a number of special events which will showcase their talents.

Chris Wormald, Director of music, at Smithills School and Bolton Sixth Form College Music Department, is preparing bands for two special nights in particular -- Smithills School Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 22, and Smithills School Senior Brass Band with the Houghton Weavers on Saturday, May 26.

The Smithills School concerts are held three times a year at the band's home base, the school's main hall. This has been newly-decorated and refurbished and Mr Wormald believes it is now even more suited to showing off his youngsters.

The programme will feature the World Champion School Brass Band; the Senior Concert Band; the Senior Big Band; the Percussion Ensembles, String Ensembles and Lower School Choir.

A number of special guests are also lined up to appear. Tickets, priced at £3, available from school reception on 01204 842382 with all seating reserved. The programme starts at 7.30pm.

The Smithills School Senior Brass Band will share the billing with the hugely popular Houghton Weavers at the Victoria Hall, on Saturday, May 26.

Tickets are £7, with concessions £6, and available from the box office on 01204 334400 and Booths Music on 01204 522908 of Churchgate Bolton. The programme starts at 7.30pm.

The Bolton Music Centre is celebrating more success for its Bolton Youth Jazz Orchestra under the direction of highly-regarded jazz trumpeter Richard Iles, a member of the Andy Prior Big Band.

The BYJO will appear at the Bridgwater Halls during the prestigious ManchesterJazz Festival on the afternoon of Sunday, June 17. On June 26, the Bolton Music Centre will play host to the California Little Big Band, which features some of the best musicians on America's West Coast.

Further details will be released nearer the date but, closer to home, the BYJO appear at Peel Hall, Worsley, tomorrow, with the Salford University Jazz Orchestra.

One novel twist to the evening is that Richard Iles will sit in with the Salford University Band while Malcolm Melling, leader of the Salford band and a superb trumpet player himself, will 'guest' with the Bolton Youth Jazz Orchestra.