A MUSICAL version of Swindon's railway history is hoping for success in a national competition.

More than 100 young singers from the Janice Thompson Performance Trust have won a place in the final of the National Festival of Music for Youth.

They have been invited to perform extracts from the specially commissioned Youth Opera - Brunel: The Little Man in the Tall Hat, by Betty Roe and Marian Lines.

The opera was first performed as part of last year's Brunel 200 celebrations, which marked the anniversary of the engineer's birth.

The 100-strong group, consisting of singers aged between five and 19, received resounding praise at the regional festival in Reading in March.

They are heading to the Symphony Hall in Birmingham on July 9 and 10 where they will give a taster of Swindon's history in songs about the work in the factories, and Brunel himself, played by 17-year-old Swindon singer Edward Le Coyte, pictured left.

If they perform well enough, the talented bunch may have the chance to sing at the Albert Hall.

Janice Thompson said: "This is an amazing achievement and shows national recognition of our own home-grown talent.

"We are thrilled to be telling the history of Swindon at this event and if we do well, we may be invited to take part in the Schools Prom at the Royal Albert Hall in November. That's what we're going to try really hard to do."

The trust has made it through to the final in two categories. The infants and juniors will be singing Picnic and The Little, Little Man in the Tall, Tall Hat on July 9.

The senior choral group presents Trip, The Famous Engineer, Noise and Swindon Upholstery Women the following day.

The trust, which is an educational charity devoted to developing and promoting vocal music in Swindon, runs a programme of coaching and performances throughout the year.

Anyone wanting to see the items the trust is taking to Music for Youth can do so at the trust's annual gala concert on the weekend of July 7 and 8 at the Phoenix Theatre, New College, Swindon.

This concert also includes a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury. Tickets are available from the Arts Centre on 01793 614837.