A Sidmouth boy has won a place at the South West Music School following an audition in Truro. Cornet and flugelhorn player Tom Harris, 16, of Barn Hayes was called to try for a place at the prestigious music college on the Sunday of August 15 before dashi

A Sidmouth boy has won a place at the South West Music School following an audition in Truro. Cornet and flugelhorn player Tom Harris, 16, of Barn Hayes was called to try for a place at the prestigious music college on the Sunday of August 15 before dashing back to Escot House to play an evening gala concert. Tom, who attends Sidmouth College, said: "I am over the moon to get a place and very surprised." This is perhaps because there were 83 candidates and 15 places available. Singer Val Howells, who headlined the concert at Escot House, said Tom was very talented and was impressed by his determination not to let the other musicians down in the evening. Tom recently won the accolade for best under 18 soloists in an East Devon competition. He plays flugelhorn for Devon Youth Brass Band and lead cornet for the Lympstone South West Telecoms Band, the highest ranking brass band in Devon. At the gala concert Tom played two solos for which he received two rounds of spontaneous applause.