A TALENTED Ulverston violinist has been selected to take part in a national musical activity - at the young age of 13.

Martin Greaves, a Ulverston Victoria High School student from Swarthmoor, will be taking part in the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) of Great Britain’s NYO: Our Musical Planet, at 5pm on Friday.

Martin will be joining NYO and NYO Inspire musicians from every region in the UK for a socially distanced performance of ‘Jupiter’ from Holst’s The Planets, to celebrate the power of music to connect people across any distance.

Dad, Brian Greaves, said: “Martin and his twin siblings James & Amelia are competent in violin, piano and cornet.

“Martin receives an annual bursary of £4,000 from the Sir John Fisher Foundation Trust, to help with his Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) tuition fees.”

Junior RNCM describes itself as a ‘vibrant community of gifted young musicians’.

The college develops the musical talents of determined children aged from eight to 18 who come together on Saturdays through a love of music.

The foundation supports charitable causes and projects in six main categories, including music.

Martin has been playing music since he was just five years old.

Brian said: “I played brass band and I asked Tony Drummond that has the Violin Shop at Dalton what to do and he suggested a violin.

“His siblings were two and a half when they began.

“We were living in Singapore at the time when I was working there.. All three have progressed, as their talents have developed.

“They all play cornet with Ulverston Town Junior Band.

“Martin is following in the footsteps of Jess Gillam who also attended Ulverston Victoria High School.”

The National Youth Orchestra said: “While we can’t travel physically, a love of music is allowing us all to connect with others across time and space, and explore further than our own four walls.

“If we were able to hear as we looked down on the earth from space, we would be blown away by the diversity and richness of our incredible musical planet.”

Performances of the arrangement will be uploaded online with the hashtag #NYOMusicalPlanet by everyone who takes part so that they can be enjoyed across the whole world.