Oswestry Youth Music Festival celebrates 40 years

It has grown over the years into a four-day event taking place in different venues.

To celebrate the anniversary, a special concert will be held on Sunday with many of the winners of past years invited back to take part. The festival, which begins today will see talented musicians up to the age of 21 perform in 74 different categories. These include both vocal and instrumental classes and range from solos and duets to bands and choirs.

It was first held in 1977 as a one-off event to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee. It has gone on to attract ever-increasing numbers of singers and musicians from across Shropshire and beyond and has become one of the biggest events of its type in the region. The closing concert on March 4 will include the winner-of-winners competition. There will also be a performance of past winners, including the Porthywaen Band.

Sue Turner, musical director, said that the concert would raise funds for the CLIC Sargent cancer charity. The competitions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday are at the Methodist Church, Christchurch and Holy Trinity. Entry is free.