SCHOOLS, youth groups and solo performers are all lined up to take part in this year’s Weymouth Music Festival.

The popular annual event, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, takes place tomorrow at Wey Valley School in Dorchester Road, Weymouth. It offers amateur performance a valuable opportunity to be put through their musical paces in a relaxed environment and have their playing scrutinised and helped by a team of professional adjudicators.

Several internationally-renowned musicians, including pianist Duncan Honeybourne, cut their teeth at the festival before going on to greater things. This year’s day-long event will also include a display of photographs of former entrants down through the years.

Festival chairman Ed Hintze said: “I am hugely looking forward to this year’s festival and a lot of hard work has gone in to hopefully making it a great success.

“We have around 60 entrants this year, which is about the same as last year, and it is good to see that the interest and enthusiasm of young musicians in the area is still there.”

As usual, there is a wide range of classes for people to take part in, from rock and pop groups to choral singing, brass, woodwind and strings. In keeping with the music festival’s tradition, there is an air of informality and non-competitiveness but the three adjudicators will comment on performances and the event is followed by a concert of the ‘best’ performers on March 9.

The panel of adjudicators this year includes Brian Husband from Ireland who will be overseeing the vocal classes, Howard Evans who will be in charge of the piano, brass and ensemble classes and David Bruce-Payne, who will run the string, woodwind and associated group classes.

The 25th Weymouth Music Festival runs from 9am until 4pm tomorrow and everyone is invited along to watch the musicians playing. Admission is £1 adults, free for children.

The festival concert takes place at Wey Valley School at 7.30pm on March 9 and tickets are £3 adults, children free.