ON behalf of St Mary’s Church, I write to express our deep appreciation to all those who worked so hard recently to make the Young Musician of the Year such a wonderful evening.

Occasions such as this, in the magnificent church building with its incredible acoustics and ambience, provide a marvellous platform for many talented young musicians and singers to demonstrate their skills to a delighted audience.

Nearly 250 adults and 40 young people, enjoyed a captivating programme in the two categories of Classic or Modern music.

Our thanks go to Chris Lynn for his drive and organisational skills, and to all his team who worked so hard to make the evening such a success. A highly qualified musical panel offered constructive comment and advice, whilst financial support and sponsorship enabled there to be significant incentive for these talented young musicians.

This is the second year St Mary’s has hosted this event and following the growing success of these evenings, I am looking forward to next year’s competition.

Our thanks go to everyone who played a part, not least the musicians and singers from local schools who were prepared to share their many skills with so many delighted people.

Reverend Canon John Harkin, Vicar, St Mary’s Church, Andover