The members of the Abraham Darby Academy in Telford will leave early this coming Sunday to travel to take part in the West of England/South Wales Regional Festival of the National Concert Band Festival in Cheltenham.

Platinum awards

For the first time the Academy’s Junior Jazz Band under the musical direction of student Ryan Richards, will compete with the Academy Showband and Senior Jazz Band hoping to achieve regional Platinum Awards which will result in an invitation to participate in the National Festival held in Birmingham in April next year.

Both the Academy Showband and Senior Jazz Band have enjoyed unprecedented successes at the National Festival in previous years.

Hopefully all our hard work will be rewarded with an invitation to play in the National Festival in BirminghamRachel Morton

Pleased

Rachel Morton, the Academy’s Head of Music told 4BR: "All the band members are pleased to be participating in Cheltenham and we are looking forward to the event as the hosts have always made us feel most welcome."

She added: "Hopefully all our hard work will be rewarded with an invitation to play in the National Festival in Birmingham."