Further information on Youth and Education events at the 41st Brass in Concert Festival have been announced by the event's organising team.

The popular series of Workshops and Taster Sessions will once again be an integral part of the first day's activities at Sage Gateshead on the weekend of 18th-19th November.

Cory lead

The workshops will be led by Philip Harper and a team of tutors from defending champion, Cory Band, whilst Laura Jackson will lead the elementary group, which is expected to expand in size this year through partnerships with Music Partnership North (Northumberland), North Tyneside Music Services and Sage Gateshead's CreativeLearning Team.

At the conclusion of the workshops (2.30pm), the participants will showcase their learning experience in a free public performance on the Sage Gateshead concourse.

Highlights

Brass in Concert Chairman John Woods told 4BR: "The workshop performance is always one of the highlights of our weekend, but through new partnerships with various agencies in the North East, we expect this year's to be more spectacular than ever and urge prospective participants to register as soon as possible.

Among the repertoire being performed will be works by Gordon Langford, whose music was very prominent in the early years of Brass in Concert, including his much-loved arrangements of 'Cushy Butterfield' and 'Bobby Shaftoe', which were the set test-pieces in 1978 and '79 respectively."

The popular Brass in Concert Taster Sessions will also take place on the Sage Concourse from 11.00am-1.15pm, encouraging the general public to 'have a blow' on a brass instrument.

Afternoon events

The afternoon youth events will commence at 1.30pm with this year's Action Medical Research Entertainment Champion, Wardle Academy Youth Brass Band, presenting its winning programme on the concourse at 1.30pm.

Saturday's Focus on Youth and Education is supported by Yamaha, and Natasha Homer of the company's Band & Orchestral Classics Division expressed their pleasure in supporting the events.

She added: "We are delighted yet again to support the Youth and Education programme at the Festival.

Yamaha and Brass in Concert have enjoyed a very fruitful relationship over many years and we look forward to working again with the organising team and the many enthusiastic musicians of all ages and experience who will be involved."

The workshop performance is always one of the highlights of our weekend, but through new partnerships, we expect this year's to be more spectacular than everBrass in Concert Chairman John Woods

Applications

Application forms for the workshops can be obtained from Hugh Stephenson at hughastephenson@hotmail.com or from the Brass in Concert website at www.brassinconcert.com/event/workshops-andtasters

Registration for the workshops commences at 8.45am on 18th November and the £5.00 cost includes a packed lunch.

Tickets:

Tickets for World of Brass in Concert on Saturday 18th November, featuring Brass and Voices at the Movies with Cory Band and Only Men Aloud (priced £27.00, £18.00 and £10.00) and the Brass in Concert Championship on Sunday 19th November (£30.00, £22.00 and £12.00), are available atwww.sagegateshead.com or from the Ticket Office on 0191 443 4661.