Music teacher and organiser of Devizes Eisteddfod Michael Johnson has spoken of his fears for the future of lessons in schools amid a decision by Wiltshire Council to scrap its music service.

The council voted at Tuesday’s budget meeting to disband the service, which provides teachers for county schools and orchestras.

Mr Johnson said: “I greet the news with alarm. This is becoming a familiar story throughout the country. The result is going to mean availability of instrumental and singing lessons for young people is going to be that much less easy to come by.”

The council will cut ten full-time administration positions at county hall and stop directly employing 76 teachers, to save £247,000 each year.

The changes will not come into effect until September, so savings for 2015/2016 should be about £146,000.

Mr Johnson, of Seend, is worried that if teachers opt not to go freelance and take responsibility for booking sessions in schools, children will lose out.

He said: “Parents will have to seek out private teachers for out-of-school-hours tuition, when having lessons at school is a more easily accessible option.

“Another factor is the cost of tuition. In some schools, with enlightened headteachers, lessons can be provided at very little cost, if not free of charge. Having private lessons makes accessibility for less well-off families to have tuition much more difficult.

“I am not sure how far the service will be cut, but I would be very sad for the hundreds of youngsters who benefit from playing with the many youth bands, choirs and orchestras, if they were disbanded. Young people learn so much from playing with these groups, not just musically but socially as well.”

Wiltshire councillor Laura Mayes, portfolio holder for children’s services, pledged children would not be affected by the changes because the council had just acted as a broker between teachers and schools.

Fellow Tories agreed with her and voted through the cuts. But others were worried about the future for music.

The Liberal Democrats put forward an amendment to safeguard the service by making other savings, but failed.

The Lib Dems’ leader, Jon Hubbard, said: “We want every child in the county to have an opportunity.”