Smithills School's championship-winning senior brass band musicians are on the crest of an air wave.

They have become the first school brass band in the country to record for the BBC Radio 2 programme, 'Listen to the Band', presented every week by Frank Renton.

The band's recording will be broadcast on Friday, June 13, at 9.30pm, and the BBC's Scottish school brass band champions, Campbeltown, also feature.

The programme is one of a series of four which will spotlight the top eight youth brass bands selected by the BBC from the whole UK as a result of television appearances or national broadcasts already made, competition success, or a combination of both.

There will be two county bands, two town bands, two school bands and two junior bands taking part. All eight will be judged again next January to find an overall BBC Youth Band of the Year for 1998.

Next week's programme will also include interviews with Principal Cornet player, Jennifer Scott and senior players Natalie Waite (Cornet), Vicki Jones (Horn), Andrew Robinson (Tuba) and Tommy Govan (Percussion) in addition to varied music, including "Riverdance".

The Band's next concerts are on Wednesday, July 2, at Smithills School, and Monday, July 7, in the Victoria Hall. Both start at 7.30pm.

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