A new People's Orchestra is starting up in Birmingham, giving talented young musicians opportunities they might miss out on otherwise. Maggie Cotton reports.

A child goes to primary school and is offered the opportunity to play a musical instrument, practising is encouraged and from then on many doors are opened. Music is a joy at every age and stage.

Instruments are supplied and lessons are usually free. Good pianists get to accompany the school choir or budding soloists, whilst instrumentalists join groups of like souls or branch out into youth orchestras: great so far.

Examinations, festivals, competitions lead to exciting secondary school music projects then as the final doors close before friends wave goodbye to venture into the big wide world, it dawns on the keenest of the bunch that they face a big gap in their lives unless they can join a university, college or local amateur orchestra.

Chamber music is a wonderful outlet, but there are those who wish for more.

An innovative new orchestra has been launched, the initial idea of The People’s Orchestra being to fill the gap between local authority music provision and professional orchestras.

If gifted musicians do not take up full-time music education after leaving school then very often that talent sadly goes to waste.

This is a truly exciting project, an initiative of The Change Consortium a community interest company based in The Public, West Bromwich.

Auditions take place at the Custard Factory on April 22 and 29. The first concert is already booked for November 4 at the Adrian Boult Hall.