A YOUNGSTER will make history in September, as part of the first British youth band to perform in Red Square, Moscow.

Matthew Terry, 13, a Year 9 pupil at the FitzWimarc School, Rayleigh, is a member of the Brentwood Imperial Youth Band.

The group, formerly the Royal British Legion Youth Band, has been invited to play at the Spasskaya Tower Festival – a military tattoo – alongside musicians from all over the world.

Matthew has been playing drums for four years and has already performed at several prestigious venues in Europe, including the O2 Arena.

He said: “I’m really excited and proud to be going to Russia with the band.

“As it’s a Brentwood band, I’m the only one from Rayleigh and it means I have to travel a bit to get there, but everyone is really nice and they have lots of contacts to play in big shows like this, so it’s worth it.

“I don’t knowmuch about Red Square but I’m looking forward to learning all about it when we’re there.

“I’m really grateful to the school for helping me get here as well, especially my music teacher, Paul Norman.”

Matthew will be one of a 75-strong band that will travel to Moscow to perform twice over the weekend of September 12 and 13.

They will be appear before crowds 14,000 in Red Square, but the band aren’t unaccustomed to the big stage, having entertained 17,000 at the world’s largest indoor tattoo, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, last year.

John Wyndham, founder of the band, said: “We’ve played in California twice, as well as Zurich and Germany, but this is still a big deal for us.

“The organisers must have seen us and they asked us if we would go this year.

“We said we couldn’t do it because it was the first week in September and we would have had children starting new schools.

“They clearly wanted us though and asked if we could just come for the end of the festival, so we said yes and schools in the area have been very supportive in giving our members time off.”

Matthew has already received permission from his school to attend the festival. John Turburville, head of Year 9 at the FitzWimarc School, said: “We are very proud of Matthew’s achievements and wish him the very best in his musical career.

“I am sure he will go on to be a very successful musician.”