STUDENTS from Wolverley High School will be sharing the spotlight later this month when they perform traditional Irish tunes at a prestigious Birmingham venue.

Wolverley High School Shamrock Band will be entertaining school children from across the West Midlands at the Primary Proms event at the Symphony Hall, on Tuesday, January 24.

The event has been organised by Music for Youth, a national charity providing young musicians with performance opportunities.

There will be two concerts during the day, which will be attended by around 4,000 four to 11 year olds.

They aim to give young people the opportunity to hear music being created live and help inspire them to make music themselves.

The band, which is made up of Dan Turner, Mike Howse, Anthony Beacher, Frankie Stone, Christian Vivash, Jack Roberts, Alex Hinksman, Andy Whordley, Ross Morton, Chris Lewis and Kirstie Wiley, will be playing a selection of foot-tapping traditional Irish melodies including Jiggy Jig Jig, Irish Rover and Silver Streams.

Members are aged 15 to 17 and they will be joined by a troupe of dancers from the school. They are Jenny Lobley, Helen Mackie, Sonia Benbow and Jack Ludwig.

Fred Mallinson, the band's teacher, said the group was looking forward to the performances, adding: "It is a big event and is completely sold out. It should be very exciting.

"The band started 18 months ago and it was very much folk-orientated, with violins and tin whistles but we have since added guitars and drums so it has more of a lively feel to it.

"We still do traditional tunes but in a pop-rock sort of style.

"Last year we added some dancers and they did a tour of Austria in the summer."

The band was selected to play at the event after taking in part in Music for Youth's regional heats last year. Four other groups will perform a range of music.