HUNDREDS of young people performed on stage at the weekend in shows which were the culmination of months of hard work.

The talented musicians and singers entertained an audience at Queen Mary’s College where they put their all into the live shows for family and friends.

More than 500 children were involved in the celebratory event, which saw them perform songs they have spent the last year learning at their Rock Project schools.

The Rock Project was launched three years ago by father-of-two Harmeet Nandra, and now runs in 13 different locations, including Basingstoke, Windsor and Fleet.

The two-hour weekly sessions focus on students learning popular songs, from Michael Jackson to Arctic Monkeys, either on guitar, drums, keyboard or bass, with tutorial time given by professional musicians, all recruited locally.

Members then come together at the end of the class to play live, working towards performing on stage in the show-stopping concert in front of family and friends.

A total of 13 schools were involved in the six summer shows over the weekend, with songs performed from all the ages, including the Rolling Stones and Ed Sheeran.

Harmeet said: “It’s the culmination of a year’s worth of lessons and it’s not your typical concert. It’s a mini rock and pop concert so parents can see how well their child has done.

“It’s a real privilege for me to see, especially those kids who at their first lesson couldn’t even hold a guitar, and now they are playing songs on stage in front of hundreds of people. It’s amazing to see how confident they become and to see the smiles on their faces.

“Of course they are nervous beforehand, but they love being on stage and once it’s finished they have such an enormous sense of achievement. They should all be really proud of themselves.”

A prizegiving ceremony was held after each show, with awards given out to those who had made significant achievements on their Rock Project journey.

The audience was also treated to a performance from the Rock Project tutors.

Harmeet hopes to encourage other young people to join The Rock Project, and said: “There are so many benefits to playing and singing music together.

"For teenagers, it gets them away from electronic screens, learning a new skill and working together with others to achieve something amazing. Some of them come to us with little or no confidence, and by the end of the two hours they are stood up performing in front of everyone. It empowers them and makes them feel valued.

“It’s also a great way to meet like-minded people and have fun, whilst learning to play an instrument.”

A raffle was held at the show raising £2,000, which will be used to fund children to attend at a subsidised rate. Last year’s raffle allowed three children who would not have been able to access The Rock Project because of the cost, the chance to take part.

Those interested in joining The Rock Project, which also runs sessions for adults, should go to http://berkshire.therockproject.com/.