YOUNG musicians struck the right note when they competed in a Rotary event.

Nine entrants from Benton Park, Guiseley and Horsforth schools took part in the heat of Aireborough Rotary’s Young Musician of the Year.

A spokesman for Aireborough Rotary said: “The audience heard entrants with varying lengths of experience play a wide range of music choices from composers including Claude Debussy, Francis Poulenc, James Curnow, Scott Joplin and Gerald Finzi. Each competitor introduced the piece they were to play and all performed with an amazing calmness. At the end of a contest that aims to give young people the opportunity of playing in front of a live audience they also heard the judges give critical yet supportive summaries of their performances explaining the reasons behind the selection of the evening’s winners.

“President Barry Mills thanked host school Benton Park, performers, supporters, and judges for their attendance on a wintry evening and presented certificates to all the participants. Cheques for the winners, both on clarinet, went to Tom Salmon of Horsforth School in the Intermediate nine category and to Evie Rae of Guiseley School in the Senior age group. They will now progress to the District Finals in York on March 7.”

Judges at the heat, which was staged at Benton Park, were Liz Kenwood Herriot, Mitzi Whitham and Brian Waite.