Eight fine young instrumentalists are hard at work on their arpeggios ahead of the Maidstone and Mid Kent Young Musician of the Year finals.

The contenders this year are Rosie Judge, 15, from Maidstone Girls Grammar School on the violin; Michael Gibbs, 17, of Maidstone Grammar School, on French horn; Luke Cox, 16, of The Judd School, Tonbridge, on cello; Jack Hughes, 18, of Invicta Grammar School, on piano; Sarah Hughes, 11, of St Simon Stock Catholic School, also on cello; Thomas Chesover, 16, of Maidstone Grammar School, on clarinet; Emily Thorpe, 17, of Maidstone Grammar School, on cello, and Joe Atkin-Reeves, 17, of Maidstone Grammar School, on alto saxophone.

The judges will be the chief executive of Kent Music Peter Bolton, the composer Duncan Ward and Fiona Wight, who in 1996, aged 16, was herself a winner of the competition before going on to forge an international singing career for herself.

The finals will be at Kent Music, Astley House, Hasting Road, Maidstone, on Wednesday, May 6. Tickets are £8 from Kent Music on 01622 691212. The competition is jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Maidstone and Maidstone Dawn Patrol.