The excellent Usk Youth Brass Band is featuring in a Midsummer Concert, along with other guests, at the Craft Renaissance centre, near Chainbridge on Saturday June 14. The event will start with a barbecue at 5.30pm, with the musical performance starting at 7pm.

Tickets are £8 for adults and £4 concessions, and guests are asked to bring their own drinks, and cushions or picnic blankets for sitting on the grass. The whole auditorium will be covered over in the event of bad weather, so the evening can still be enjoyed whatever the conditions.

Tickets are on sale from H&R Paints in Usk, the Gallery at Craft Renaissance, or from Sam Burchell on 01291 671121.

With more successes notched up by the Band at the recent Gwent Solo and Quartet Competition, the Band continues to go from strength to strength and an evening of their music is always to be thoroughly recommended.

At the competition, the Band entered 22 soloists and quartets and ensembles and took 1st place in the open quartet class, as the Jesters quartet, made up of Maya Burchell-Haslett, Sam Burchell, Sarah Fryer and Simon Haslett. The Buskers, a 12 piece ensemble, also took 1st place in their open section, while Jamie Jones came 2nd in his solo class on the euphonium, and the Uskimos - Katy Beckett, Maya Burchell-Haslett, Jessica Jones and Cian Morrey - came 2nd in the under 18s quartet class.

3rd places were achieved by t he Uskids in the under 18 ensemble class, and by Emily Humphries playing the cornet in the 12-13 year-olds solo class. Mrs. Lea Jones was the musical director for the Band's entries, and she conducted the quartets and ensembles.