The 17th annual Penwortham Youth Music Festival got under way on Saturday at St Leonard's Church in Marshall's Brow.

Day one of the six-day prestigious event saw children demonstrate piano solos, woodwind and brass pieces, as well as choir performances from three special schools.

The festival aims to give children the chance to showcase their talents and be judged in an informal way. Winners are awarded trophies and cash prizes of between £2 and £30.

Philip Walsh, festival director, said: "It's going very well. We had an excellent day on Saturday. I think the children get a lot of satisfaction out of competing and performing before an audience. They never fail to impress me."

On Saturday, Alexander Roocroft, 13, of St Michael's CE High in Chorley, was awarded the Dark Trophy for the best instrumental performance out of classes nine to 19.

And his sister Charlotte, 16, was awarded first place in the senior brass instrumental solo section.

First places were also awarded to Peter Nye, 12, of Priory Sports and Technology College in Penwortham, near Preston, for his Honky Tonk Piano Rag piano solo and Joseph Barrett, a pupil at Kingsfold Christian School, Hesketh Bank, near Preston, for his intermediate woodwind instrumental solo, Tarantella.

The competition on Sunday night saw vocal performances of songs including Any Dream Will Do from Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Consider Yourself, from Oliver.

And on Monday evening, youth and senior school choirs – including Brownedge St Mary's in Bamber Bridge and All Hallow's Catholic High School in Penwortham – were due to battle it out for first, second and third places.

Mr Walsh added: "To end the week, we've got a Gilbert and Sullivan workshop going into two schools on Friday.

"We're going to talk them through an opera, the Pirates of Penzance."

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