A COMMUNITY youth orchestra in York is encouraging youngsters to take up an instrument and join in.

The Archbishop Holgate’s CE Academy youth orchestra has been going since September and is steadily growing in number so that now about 30 children of all abilities regularly go to weekly practice sessions.

The group is free and welcomes all key stage 2 players of any ability and any instrument to join in.

Music leader for the Pathfinder Teaching School Alliance, Molly Newton, who leads the group, said: “We’ve got over 30 members and started with just 8 initially.

“We meet every Wednesday from 4-5pm with refreshments from 3.30pm in the music room in the Archbishop Holgate’s sixth form.

“The school very kindly offered to give us the space to rehearse in for free and we currently have children coming who go to school at Heworth, Hempland, St Aelred’s RC, Lord Deramore’s, Stamford Bridge, Badgerhill and Yearsley Grove.

“We currenly have a girl playing the double base, three cellos, four flutes, two recorders, a glockenspiel, a ukulele and a piano to name but some of the instruments.

“The funding we got to pay for the orchestra was through the commissioning fund set up by York Music Hub which is committed to working in partnership to provide the best possible opportunities for children and young people to achieve their musical potential.”

Mrs Newton said that the idea initially was to take in children from the surrounding area, but children from across the city can attend.

Rehearsals have been building all term and will culminate in the youngsters taking part in a carol service in York Minster tomorrow.

Mrs Newton said that rehearsals have been going well and everyone’s very much looking forward to the event.

Mrs Newton has also been nominated for a Little Vikings award run by the city-based Little Vikings magazine, in the ‘special recognition’ category.

Their special recognition award features people and places “offering something fantastic in York for kids”.

Others nominated in her category include: St Paul’s CE Primary School and York’s Children’s Centres ‘for offering amazing support for parents’.

She said she’ll find out in January if she’s won or not and said although she doesn’t know who put her forward, she’s very grateful and it’s an honour.

She said: “I’m up against an entire primary school so I don’t know what my chances are, but it’s lovely to be nominated.”