YOUNG musicians from across the country came to Malvern at the weekend in the hope of earning a place performing alongside the English Symphony Orchestra.

The Malvern-based orchestra's Side by Side scheme enables gifted young musicians to be tutored by professional musicians before playing a concert together.

The next concert is on April 6 at the Forum, Malvern Theatres, where the student and professional musicians will perform Stravin-sky's The Rite of Spring and Harold in Italy by Berlioz.

William Boughton, artistic and music director of the ESO, said: "Youngsters come along and sit alongside a professional player and learn from them. It's about raising their own standards."

The young musicians spend three days being tutored by ESO members before a day's rehearsal with the professional orchestra and the concert itself featuring all 52 youths and 52 professionals.

Violinist Esther King, who benefitted from the scheme, said: "I have played in many orchestras but the experience and knowledge gained from sitting next to a member of a professional orchestra surpassed anything I had done before."

The scheme costs around £34,000 to run and Mr Boughton said that the sponsorship of HSBC Bank was "essential" to the project's continued success.