YOUNG pipers from Robert Burns Academy have played a starring role in a concert celebrating the best of East Ayrshire's talented young musicians.

A total of 170 young people took part in this year's Schools Spring Spectacular concert, hosted at Kilmarnock's Grange Academy.

The popular concert opened in rousing style with the East Ayrshire Pipe Band, which featured the RBA Pipe Band and the Kilmarnock Schools Pipe Band.

They performed Scotland the Brave, The Rowan Tree and Bonnie Gallowa’. 

Cumnock Chronicle: East Ayrshire choirEast Ayrshire choir (Image: East Ayrshire Council)

The East Ayrshire Percussion Ensemble performed music from The Simpsons and Bettlejuice; then the East Ayrshire String Orchestra played The Gathering and Capriol Suite.

The East Ayrshire Choir sang I'm In The Mood For Dancing, Love In Any Language and Don't Stop Believing to end the first half, with the East Ayrshire Concert Band resuming after the interval with two incredible performances.

The grand finale featured all the evening's participants in a wonderful performance of Amazing Grace.

Julie Carrie, acting music service manager at East Ayrshire Council, said: “I would like to thank all of our audience members for coming along and supporting our young musicians as we returned to our first live Spring Concert in three years.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our head of education, Linda McAulay-Griffiths and Julie Hope, depute head of education, for their on-going support to the East Ayrshire music service.

“The evening would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our fantastic music instructors and teachers. My huge thanks to them for the support and encouragement they have shown the young people.

“Finally, I would like to congratulate the hard work and dedication of the young people performing and I hope that they enjoyed performing for a live audience again.”