BUDDING young musicians descended on Holcombe Moor this week for an army music academy.

The Corps of Army Music is holding their inaugural Spring Academy at Holcombe Moor Training Camp from Tuesday-Friday.

The four-day programme is being attended by dozens of aspiring musicians from around the UK, who are being tutored by soldiers of The Band of the King’s Division and The Band of the Royal Armoured Corps.

They will receive an insight and a taste of the life of an army musician, before the week culminates with youngsters performing in a concert at Salford University’s Peel Hall.

It is the first time such an academy has been run outside the Corps’ HQ in Twickenham, Middlesex.

Brooke Taylor, aged 16, from Bolton, was one of many youngsters from across England and Northern Ireland who attended.

She is an A-level student at Bolton Sixth Form College and plays cornet and trumpet.

She said: “My music teacher at college told a few of us about this so I decided to apply. Hopefully when I’m older I’ll be able to have a career in the army.”

On Tuesday, she joined an ensemble band performing several numbers from legendary composer John Williams, including the theme from Jaws.

Warrant officer class two John Marsh said: “We are here to showcase what we can offer to these musicians.

"The North West has produced some fantastic musicians and we have some very good contacts with the universities up here through our national army bands. We are fostering those relationships by creating this.”