A WORLD champion Bolton school brass band is to be featured in a highbrow arts and cultural television programme.

The multi-award winning Smithills School Senior Brass band is to be featured on ITV1's The South Bank Show after its prolific record of competition wins brought them to the attention of programme makers.

Members of the band, such as principal cornet player Vanisha Gangiyani, are to be interviewed, as well as the school's director of arts, Chris Wormald, who has masterminded the band's rise to international acclaim.

Mr Wormald said he was delighted when he received an email from the show's presenter, Melvyn Bragg, requesting to film at the school.

He said: "We've had 12 years of unparalleled international success - various schools have come and gone but we are still there. We have achieved an awful lot."

Cameras will be filming next Thursday when the school will be officially launched as a specialist arts college. A plaque will be unveiled at the school in honour of the new status.

Mr Wormald said the band already has a close connection with South Bank presenter Howard Goodall, who will be helping to make the feature at the school next week.

He said Mr Goodall - who composed the theme tunes to Blackadder, Johnny English and Mr Bean - is a fan of the band and keeps in regular contact with its progress.

The band's rise to success began in 1990 when Mr Wormald became head of music at the school.

It has grown from having few instruments and little musical activity to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of brass bands.

Two weeks ago, it was crowned the National Youth Brass Band Champion and is also the current world champion - a title it has won many times.

The band has played in front of royalty, played to sell-out concerts at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, and toured across the globe.

Mr Wormald said: "The programme makers had heard all about our track record - that's why they want to film us. We are all very excited."