A FRENCH horn player from King's School has won the Worcestershire Young Musician 2001 award.

Seventeen-year-old Adrian Uren beat six other finalists in the soloist category with his performance of En Foret by Eugene Bozza.

The finals of the ensemble category were also held on Friday at Huntingdon Hall.

Judges declared a tie for the ensemble category between the King's School Horn Quintet and Faith, a group from Droitwich High School.

Special mentions were also given to Franche First School Choir and the St James's Singers.

Julien Kramer, Worcestershire's education director, also presented a special award to 14-year-old Ruth Leavesley, from Hagley RC High School, who sang the traditional song The Seed is Christ's and Vedrai Carino by Mozart.

The judges included Mr Kramer, Peter Fallows chairman of Worcestershire County Council, Patricia Keir, head of junior music and access studies at the Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Vyvyan Lucas, director of the Gloucester Academy of Music and Performing Arts.

The evening was recorded for broadcast on BBC Hereford and Worcester on Thursday December 27.

"It was a lovely evening and there was tremendous support from parents and friends as well as an excellent standard from the competitors," said Christopher Polyblank, county music inspector.

"Around 100 children were involved and they gave first rate performances."