A YOUNG musician is trumpeting his success after picking up an award in a national brass band championship.

Nine-year-old Stuart Sharples, who plays the cornet, was given the award as the youngest player taking part in the second section at the Pontins National Brass Band Championships in Wales.

A pupil at St Augustine's Primary School, Rosegrove, Stuart is a member of the Haslingden and Helmshore Brass Band which took a creditable 5th place out of 22 bands in the championships playing Eric Ball's Sunset Rhapsody.

This was the band's first national competition since promotion into the second section and Stuart's first ever competition.

But Stuart is not the only member of his family who played with the band in the competition.

Dad Philip played flugel while his 12-year-old brother Richard, a pupil at St Theodore's High School, played tenor horn.

Stuart's ambition is to become the top cornet player with one of Britain's top Brass bands -- Leyland Brass Band -- which his father used to play for.

Mr Sharples, of Padiham Road, Burnley, said he believed his dream could come true sooner than he thinks.

He said: "He wants to follow in my footsteps and he is very enthusiastic. He started playing when he was seven. His mum's an ex brass band player, I played in the Leyland Brass Band for 15 years and his brother started playing when he was seven so we are a musical family.

"The boys both heard me playing and wanted to join in so I taught them. From my experience the pair of them for their age are very good players. I think Stuart is an amazing player and I think he will soon overtake me if he carries on practising."

Haslingden and Helmshore Band has always had a policy for teaching and bringing on young players and has a junior band which always welcomes new members who wish to learn to play a brass instrument.

Ten members of the prize winning band that took to the stage in Wales have come up through the ranks of the junior band with six of them still only 16 years or under.

Mr Sharples said: "Stuart was full of himself when he got the award. There was a rumour going round that he was the youngest but we weren't sure."

He was presented with a shield which now has pride of place in his home along with his football trophies.

Anyone who would like further information about joining the band should contact secretary Andrea Holland on 01706 210490.