FOR many years, John Fuller and his music team have been organising an annual concert at The Anvil to showcase the musical education that the young people in the Basingstoke area have been receiving, courtesy of the Hampshire Music Service.

Hampshire Music Service is considered by many to be the best music provider in the country and John Fuller co-ordinates all 11 Basingstoke-based orchestras and choirs.

Recently nearly 200 young musicians from our area travelled up to the Royal Albert Hall to join other musicians from all over the county and John was invited to conduct the finale and now all of us can bask in the reflected glory of it all.

We have a wonderful venue here in Basingstoke, The Anvil and last Saturday's concert had many highlights; the massed choirs of singers representing four primary schools St.Mark's, St.Mary's, Silchester CofE, Long Sutton CofE and one Catholic secondary school, Bishop Challoner, made a glorious sound, especially when they sang Paul Simon's The Sound of Silence, conducted so sensitively by Siobhan Smith.

The Basingstoke Youth Choir has a new, young conductor Tori Eglin, and even though the choir is small in numbers at the moment, it is showing great potential because they are being taught how to bring light and shade to their singing and their intonation is so good.

The Percussion Ensemble, which Wendy Harding started in 2006, now has an array of instruments which I am sure is the envy of many professional orchestras. When they play as an ensemble they add a touch of excitement to the evening and I especially appreciate their accuracy when a few of them join the String Orchestra or the Area Youth Wind Orchestra.

The Coronation March played by the string orchestra and conducted by Paul Timms drew huge applause from the audience, as did the' Songs from the Trenches' arranged by Peter Lawson and conducted by John Fuller. There's No Place Like Home sung so gently by all the young singers and accompanied by the full orchestra was particularly poignant, as was the pure sound produced by Rachel Wood, the trumpet soloist for The Last Post; this was true musicianship.

Students wishing to take advantage of the professional teaching offered by the Hampshire Music Service should telephone John Fuller on 01256 398211, or email johnfuller3@gmail.com or visit bayo-hampshire.org.uk.

The cost is £25 for 12 sessions and there is no extra charge if you attend more than one ensemble.

Hannah Williams