BRASS players from John of Gaunt School in Trowbridge have been invited to play at the finals of Europe's largest youth music festival for the third year running.

The brass band is one of eight invited to play at the prestigious National Festival of Music for Youth at the Royal Festival Hall, in London, on July 4.

School brass tutor Dr Mike Lomas said: "This is the third time in three years that the school's brass band has qualified. In school music, this is a little like getting to the FA cup final three times in a row."

Last year the school wind band and brass ensemble also made it to the finals, while two years ago theirs was the only school brass band from the south of England

Dr Lomas said: "There is a 'David and Goliath' dimension to all of this our young players, who are from an area which has little in the way of musical traditions, will be once more competing with the best youth bands from Lancashire and Yorkshire."