BBC music finalist Tom to open Wrekin College concert series
A BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist from Telford is set to help a local school kick start its new music programme.
Tom Hall is currently in his final year at the Royal Northern College of Music, in Manchester, and hopes to become a professional percussionist.
He will be supporting staff and pupils at Wrekin College, in Wellington, to launch their Sounds of the Future programme of concerts next week.
Simon Platford, the school's director of music, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have Tom joining us for the first of our Sounds of the Future concerts.
“It has been a difficult time for musical performance, which has been impacted greatly by restrictions put in place during the last two years due to the pandemic.
“But now we are, fingers crossed, looking forward to a very exciting year ahead full of opportunities for children to really develop their musical abilities and their performance skills.
“Music is a very important part of the curriculum at Wrekin College and Sounds of the Future will hopefully inspire our pupils and other young musicians.
"It shows them the standards that can be reached by musicians in some cases only one or two years older than them. I also support those at the start of their professional musical careers.”
In a live performance on January 21, Tom will perform a variety of music and instruments, including the marimba and the vibraphone, a sound commonly associated with the world of jazz.
Tom has already attained national success in music competitions, the highlight being reaching the televised percussion final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition.
The new Sounds of the Future is a series of five concerts headlined with a performance by pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, who performed at Wrekin College last year alongside her brother Sheku, the cellist at the royal wedding of Harry and Meghan.
Wrekin College opened a £2.5 million music school in January 2020 and offers scholarships and bursaries to young musicians.
The concert starts at 7pm and will take place in the new Music School at Wrekin College.
Tickets are £5 and can be bought via ticketsource.co.uk/wrekinarts or on the door.
The event will follow all current Covid-19 Government guidelines.
