A DYNAMIC jazz combo are leading young Malmesbury musicians on a journey through the history of jazz as a result of an annual link-up between local schools and the WOMAD Festival.

Tomorrow’s Warriors are undertaking a string of intense workshops with Malmesbury students this week which will culminate in a performance by around 100 pupils at the opening of the world music extravaganza later this month.

Every year since the WOMAD festival relocated from Reading to Charlton Park in 2007 music students from Malmesbury School and a cluster of surrounding village schools have collaborated with some world class musicians to open the event.

Last year saw budding young Malmesbury musicians get the grips with the rhythms of reggae and now they are delving even further back into black roots music with Tomorrow’s Warriors.

The five-strong collective, drawn from a pool of London-based music educationalists specialise in “inspiring, championing, nurturing and promoting” a diverse range of gifted and talented jazz musicians.

It features two “inspirational music leaders,” keyboardist Ben Burrell an expert on developing performance and improvisational skills, and musical director and saxophonist Binker Golding, who focuses on musical interaction and performance.

The workshops which began on Monday has seen primary and secondary school students, aged from ten to 18, taken through the history of jazz before arriving at the more contemporary sounds of funk, Afro-beat and South African-influenced music.

Under the tutelage of Tomorrow’s Warriors the young musicians will aim to create “a vibrant, groove-filled musical experience for participants and audiences alike” when they open the four-day WOMAD festival on the evening of Thursday, July 23.

Malmesbury School music teacher Debbie Corscadden said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for our students. They are very, very keen to learn from Tomorrow’s Warriors.”

Some of the Malmesbury students go into both music related careers and further education. “Working and performing with musicians like these looks great on their CV,” said Mrs Corscadden.

The students are rehearsing a set that will include traditional New Orleans numbers alongside funkier pop fare such as Move On Up and Dance To The Music.

Around 60 of the students are from Malmesbury School while the others from local primary schools – Malmesbury, Brinkworth Earl Danby, Minety, and Lea & Garsdon.

Before their big WOMAD appearance they will perform a warm-up show at Malmesbury Abbey next Tuesday evening.