Article taken from the Huddersfield Examiner (www.examiner.co.uk) January 30, 2017

Young musicians from across Kirklees have showcased their phenomenal skills, writes music reviewer Suzanne Smelt.

Musica Kirklees (formerly Kirklees Music School) proudly hosted the first event as part of Music for Youth’s new pilot scheme in working with the four Music Education Hubs in Yorkshire.

The event at Dewsbury Town Hall featured Musica Youth Orchestra Symphonic Brass who impressed with their accuracy, clarity of sound and ability to move seamlessly from Purcell and Gabrieli to jazz (‘Just a Closer Walk’).

The Norristhorpe Junior School Choir shared their infectious enjoyment and everyone loved their rendition of ‘Monster Mash’ complete with solos and Transylvanian accents.

A beautifully haunting tenor saxophone solo by George Jenkins opened Musica Mirfield Senior Wind Band’s ‘By Lock and Mountain’. They then got the audience clapping with their upbeat medley called ‘80s Flashback’.

Musica Batley’s eight voice choir had great confidence and poise as they presented songs featuring wonderful solos, finishing with a moving rendition of ‘I Wish I was a Punk Rocker’.

Musica Shelley Intermediate Strings produced a rich, strong tone in the overture to ‘William Tell’ and showed real panache in ‘Venezia’.

Actions and laughter abounded in Crowlees Junior School Choir’s performance of the ‘Scooby Doo Song.’

The finale was a rousing performance by Musica Mirfield Swing Band featuring two superb vocalists in Joe Parkin (‘King of the Swingers’) and Liz Davey (‘Besame Mucho’).