A new music school is taking the cost out of learning to play an instrument and offering expert tuition to youngsters for just £1 a week.

The new school, based at All Saints’ Church in Heaton Norris, Stockport , was set up by teacher Philip Waddington to provide musical education to children and teenagers, including instrumental lessons and the opportunity to play as part of ensemble groups.

Children are taught by a team of talented volunteers from the Royal Northern College of Music.

The tuition does not cost the children’s families a penny, all they have to contribute is £1 a week towards the cost of heating and lighting the building.

A number of generous musicians have already donated many instruments for the children to learn on, which will also be available to loan free of charge.

At present, children can choose to learn to play the piano, classical organ, electronic keyboard, violin, viola, cello and other woodwind or brass instruments.

They will also be given aural and music theory training.

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School director Philip, who is the organist and choirmaster at All Saints, and also a teacher, said: “Most children have the desire to learn to play a musical instrument at some point.

“This can often be prohibitively expensive, especially for families with more than one child.

“The cost of an instrument alone is a huge outlay followed by the cost of lessons which can often become a financial burden.

“So it is wonderful to be able to provide children with the opportunity to learn a musical instrument at such low cost, and also provide them with a free instrument to practise on.

“We are enormously grateful to Stockport and Manchester Music Services for their generous donations of surplus instruments.”

Asda Reddish and Stockport Lamplighters have also made generous contributions to help set up the school.

Philip would also like to hear from anyone who can donate more musical instruments to the school.

The school, which launched on Saturday, is open to children between the ages of eight and 14.

It runs every Saturday morning during term time, for two hours.

Places are still available, but must be booked.

For details see cwas.org.uk , email pwaddington2@gmail.com or call 078213 07909.