Five years ago, Peter Gittins - conductor of the Herefordshire Youth Concert Band - heard a saxophone being played.

He followed the sounds to a lower floor in the music department of the Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School where he found Richard Carson - 12 years old at the time - playing a piece of jazz on his new alto sax.

Now aged 17, Richard has played in every concert that the Youth Concert Band has performed which have included opportunities to play with the Band of the Prince of Wales Regiment Division and the Band of the Adjutant General's Corps for the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth.

The band incorporates players from most of the city's high schools and represents the Herefordshire Instrumental Music Service in concert. You may well have heard them at last year's Christmas switching on of the 'light up a life' tree for St Michael's Hospice outside Hereford Cathedral or at any one of their charity concerts given over the past year.

Young people interested in joining the band should contact Herefordshire Instrumental Music Service on 01432 260840. The band's next concert is being given on Wednesday, May 21 at Hereford Shirehall.