NATIONAL Army bands have marched into Cornwall to give local young players tips and entertain crowds.

The bands from the Army Corps of Music coached youngsters and took to the streets at the weekend to share and show off their talents.

The Band of The Royal Signals gave masterclasses for 40 aspiring brass, wind and percussion players at Penryn College in conjunction with the Cornwall Music Service.

This was followed by a public concert before they headed to Truro for two marching demonstrations on Lemon Quay.

On Saturday evening the British Army Brass Band took centre stage for a packed performance at the Hall for Cornwall. The band, made up of 35 musicians chosen from the 22 Army regimental bands, was a showcase for the talents of the Corps of Army Music.

A highlight among the varied pieces was a flugel solo, Ave Maria, by Cornish musician L Cpl Gareth Lancaster, a member of The Band of The Coldstream Guards.

He is also a veteran of the Cornwall Youth Brass Band, which organised the visit and whose 65 members joined the players on stage for a spectacular finale.

The first of their three joint pieces, Dragons Rise by Matthew Hall, was conducted in front of the composer by music co-ordinator Brian Minear.

The visit ended with a joint rehearsal session the next morning.

A youth band spokesman said: "All in all this was a memorable weekend for the young Cornish musicians involved and for the many admirers of military and brass music in Cornwall."