Final day of Celebration of Suffolk Schools Music at Snape Maltings. Children from St Pancras Catholic Primary School in final rehearsals.

HUGE crowds descended on Snape Maltings this weekend to enjoy performances by Suffolk’s young musical stars.

A Celebration of Suffolk Schools Music saw hundreds of youngsters take to the stage every day last week to play famous scores by Benjamin Britten.

Saturday was the grand finale and featured appearances from the South Suffolk Youth Orchestra, Bury St Edmunds County Upper School and Ormiston Sudbury Academy.

Children from Grundisburgh Primary School, Hollesley Primary School, Roman Hill Primary School in Lowestoft, Saxmundham Free School and St Pancras Primary School in Ipswich also performed.

More than 1,600 young people representing primary, middle, secondary and special schools in Suffolk have taken part in the week-long event which kicked off last Monday and is run by Aldeburgh Music and Suffolk County Council.

Over the last 26 years more than 30,000 Suffolk school pupils have taken to the stage at Snape Maltings Concert Hall and performed to an audience of around 75,000.

This year the theme was Celebrating Britten – marking the centenary of composer Benjamin Britten, who was born in Lowestoft and lived at the Red House in Aldeburgh.

On Saturday the audience was given a taste of everything from classical, jazz, folk and vocals.