STUDENTS at the John Masefield High School this week have been striving for a musical hat trick at a prestigious arts festival in Hereford Courtyard, where they have triumphed before, in 2014 and 2015.

If they keep to winning ways, the Ledbury high school will have won a musical award, named after the great composer Edward Elgar, for three years in a row.

Competition fever has naturally inspired the school, which is an academy with Specialist School Status for the Performing Arts, and various ensembles and quartets have been busy rehearsing, ahead of their all-important performances before the judges.

A school spokesman said: "All this week pupils from John Masefield High School have been performing at the annual Herefordshire Performing Arts Festival at Hereford Courtyard.

"The JMHS Woodwind ensemble, Jazz Band, Brass Band, String ensemble, Chamber Choir, Junior Choir and Piano Quartet are all competing in various classes, as well as a number of soloists and small chamber groups totalling over 80 pupils, all taking part in this exciting event."

The spokesman added: "Ensembles rehearse weekly at the school in ensembles run by the head of music and a team of experienced peripatetic teachers. Pupils have also created their own small ensembles which they direct themselves. "This is the third time that our school has taken part in the festival, after enjoying two successful years winning the 'Elgar in Hereford Young Musicians' Award'."

The school believes that not only do the students enjoy performing in competition, "they have thoroughly enjoyed performing so far this week, gaining valuable experience, increasing their confidence, as well as, hopefully, winning some medals".

Edward Elgar, regarded by many critics as England's greatest composer, was born in 1857 at Lower Broadheath, outside Worcester.

In adult life, he famously lived at Malvern, and also in Hereford and, for a while, he even taught violin in Ledbury.