Grimethorpe Colliery Band out their weekend's regional qualifying disappointment behind them, when they teamed up with Opera North to go 'Back to School' in Barnsley on Thursday.

Joined forces

As part of the national 'The Year of Music' campaign, the band join forces with opera company in a musical masterclass for young people aged between 10-18 to help give children and young people opportunities to engage with music.

The band went to Willowgarth High School in Grimethorpe to work with the children to create a brand new composition for voice and brass which the artists and children will perform en mass.

The band loves working with young people. It gives us the chance to flex our creativity and hopefully we will inspire them to take up brass banding and keep this wonderful tradition aliveBand Manager, Terry Webster

Inspire

Band Manager Terry Webster told 4BR:"The band loves working with young people. It gives us the chance to flex our creativity and hopefully we will inspire them to take up brass banding and keep this wonderful tradition alive."

Connections

Spokesperson Kathryn O’Doherty from Opera North added: "We believe this is an exciting and fun opportunity for young people to work with professional musicians to create music, that combines the traditions of opera and brass bands, and discover the connections and differences between the two."

The exclusive sessions are part of Tune In’s ‘Back to School’ series of musical master classes hosted by music icons from across the globe, aiming to get children and young people inspired about the ways music can enrich their lives.

Footsteps

Grimethorpe and Opera North follow in the footsteps of internationally renowned beat boxer Killa Kela who earlier led a beat boxing masterclass for over 80 young people in Sheffield, as well as Brit nominee Pixie Lott who went ‘Back to School’ in Essex and pop artists Jonas Brothers who kicked off the series in Gateshead in November.