A SUCCESSFUL school trip has seen talented musicians perform concerts in three countries on the Continent.

In the final week of the summer term, 22 students from Teesdale School, in Barnard Castle, along with 18 from other County Durham schools, packed their musical instruments and headed to Holland.

It was the third joint tour Teesdale School Soul Band and Durham County Youth Big Band have taken part in, following trips to Spain in 2003 and 2005.

The group performed in the Dutch town of Valkenburg, before heading to Maastricht, in Luxembourg, and the German city of Aachen.

The outdoor performances were well received by the audience.

Durham County Youth Big Band performed songs, including Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione, while Teesdale School Soul Band's Tom Richardson sang the Ray Charles classic Halleluiah I Love Her So, accompanied by the rest of the band.

Soul Band member and A-level student James Williams also conducted his arrangement of Play That Funky Music.

And while in Holland, members from both bands created pieces of music that were performed on the final night.

Teesdale School student Ruby Carrington, 15, said: "I had a fantastic time in Holland, and the feed back from everyone else that went has been extremely positive.

"I think both bands, and the tours abroad, are a wonderful opportunity They allow you to meet loads of new people, learn from the amazing musical abilities other students have, and simply have a great time."