THE cream of the county's young musicians are hoping to strike the right note when they play a concert at the Royal Albert Hall with leading scientist Lord Robert Winston.

Oxfordshire County Youth orchestra is taking to the stage on Tuesday, November 14, at the world renowned venue as part of a series of concerts being run for the Schools Proms event.

Their first of two performances will be a fanfare played from the gallery of the hall and then at the end of the concert the 111 piece orchestra will play Shostakovich's Festive Overture.

Lord Winston is also teaming up with the orchestra to perform a piece entitled The Old Castle from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

That performance will be filmed for a BBC2 series called Play it Again in which people who played an instrument when they were younger but then gave it up have been given the chance to pick it up again.

The orchestra also have the honour of closing the second day of the event by performing Elgar's rousing Pomp and Circumstance Number 1 to the backdrop of exploding indoor fireworks and in front of a flag waving audience.

The group whose members are all aged between 14 and 21 was chosen from scores who performed to great acclaim at the National Festival of Music for Youth in Birmingham earlier this year.

Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra musical director Dick Hallam said: "We won't meet with Lord Winston until November 12, so our first rehearsal with him will be just two days before the event, but hopefully it will be all right on the night!

"The orchestra have played together a lot before, but not with fireworks, flag-waving and other distractions happening, but I'm sure they will be fine.

"They are a very capable group of musicians who are among the best in the country and are used to playing in prestige venues."

Percussionist Lekai Lee, 16, said: "I am really looking forward to it. I played at the Royal Albert Hall once before with the percussion ensemble and the atmosphere was amazing. It is easily the best place I have performed in so far."

Holly Warder, 15, who plays the viola, added: "I am really excited about it. Ever since we found out I have been so looking forward to it."

Although he has played at the Royal Albert Hall many times himself Mr Hallam said he will still get slightly nervous before he goes out on stage to conduct his orchestra.

He added: "One never gets blase or complacent about playing there, it is always a fantastic experience and it is such a big venue."