THE Manx Youth Orchestra (MYO) will soon be marking its 40th anniversary and past players have just a few days left to sign up for the celebrations.

A reunion of ex-players will take place on Saturday, March 24 at St Ninian's High School, Douglas.

Ex-members will join the current MYO for a 90 minute rehearsal from 10am before performing a 30-minute concert for friends, family and well-wishers at noon. A social occasion will follow at 12.30pm.

The orchestra, run by the Department of Education and Children's (DEC) Music Service, was formed in September 1971 and gave its first concert in the spring of 1972.

In October last year it appealed for ex-members to dust off their instruments and rejoin it for the celebration.

John Kinley, from the Music Service, said: "We've got 71 ex-members coming back but there is still room for more and I've extended the closing date until Thursday, January 26.

"If any further people want to play, they need to get in touch as soon as possible as we won't be able to accommodate musicians turning up on the day to play."

The ad-hoc orchestra will be conducted by the current musical director, the DEC's Head of Music Service Maggie Richardson, and former conductors/heads of music service Graham Kirkland and Bernard Osborne.

John, who played with the orchestra as a teenager, will also lead part of the performance.

The music will be drawn from the orchestra's repertoire over the years.

To take part, collect a form from the Music Centre in Lord Street, Douglas, download it from the wiki at https://www2.sch.im/groups/isleofmanmusicservice/ or email music.admin@doe.sch.im

Details of how to obtain tickets for the concert will be available soon.

At a post-concert reception, organised by the Friends of the Manx Youth Orchestra, it is hoped to have photographs/memorabilia of the MYO on display. Players and audience members are invited to bring along anything of interest.