MUSIC-mad 13-year-old Joe Murray, of Birkby, has landed a place in the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain.
Joe, a pupil at All Saints', Bradley, had an audition at Salford University in November and got the good news as an extra special Christmas present on December 24.
Now he is looking forward to a repertoire day in Manchester on Saturday, January 24 and beyond that to a week's residential course in Taunton at Easter. That's good news for the Murray family who will be going down with him and holidaying in the area while he plays.
His mother Oisin says Joe, who plays cornet in Sellars Youth Brass Band and trumpet in Kirklees Youth Symphony Orchestra, has been playing since he was eight or nine.
He has been trained by Darren Stott, the prize-winning principal cornet with Sellers International.
With two hours practice a week at Sellars, two hours with the Youth Symphony Orchestra, and a session with Golcar Band on Sundays with an uncle who has recently started playing trombone, you might think Joe's days are saturated with music.
Not so. He has now started taking up the guitar and piano.
Music ability seems to run in the family - sister Freya at 17 plays the flute and piano and is a fellow member of the youth orchestra.
So not unnaturally Joe's thoughts have turned to a career in music - mum says he would cheerfully give up school now given the chance.
