Tewkesbury Rotary Club and Gloucestershire Music Service are holding a concert at Tewkesbury Abbey with over 120 young musicians and singers taking part.

This is the 14th annual charity concert featuring Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra organised by the Rotary Club, and this year the proceeds will be donated to the Sue Ryder Hospice in Leckhampton.

The Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra is made up of young musicians from all over the county and is led by former member and experienced conductor Jon Trim.

“It’s a highlight of my year conducting at the Abbey,” he said. “It’s a wonderful venue with great acoustics.

“We’ll be doing big, popular classics and then finishing with a joint performance with the Gloucestershire County Youth Choir.”

Previous concerts have supported both local and international charities including Youth at Heart – who help children with congenital heart disease – Barnardo’s, CICRA and many other Rotary Charities.

During the interval a representative from the charity will have the opportunity to stand up and explain what they do, followed by a retiring collection at the end of the concert.

As well as raising money for charity, the concert gives young musicians the opportunity to play at an iconic venue, in front of an audience of around 400 people.

“I’ve been conducting the Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra for the last three years and every year it’s a lovely occasion,” he continued.

“It’s always well supported and as well as raising money for charity it also showcases the top young musicians we have.”

Jon is involved in several different musical organisations throughout the county, including the Stroud Symphony Orchestra, where he has conducted since 1993.

He says that working with adults and younger musicians present different challenges, but both are just as enjoyable.

“Conducting the younger musicians is great because often it’s their first time playing these fantastic pieces,” he continued.

“It’s always amazing how much concentration they give when they’re playing, especially because usually they’re playing music written for professional orchestras. Of course it can be challenging, but I love it.”

Tickets are available from both The Tewkesbury Abbey shop and the Sue Ryder shop in Tewkesbury.