Todmorden kids record a musical version of one of the area's creepiest folk tales

Recording as the Primitive Percussion Youth Orchestra (PPYO), under the direction of music teacher Mark Williamson, the children used percussion, homemade bowed string instruments and the school's 1956 Kemble piano to improvise a music accompaniment to the story of the Gabble Ratchets.

The Gabble Ratchets, or Gabriel Ratchets, are a pack of spectral hellhounds who fly over Todmorden on Halloween, and the album traces their journey from Eagle Cragg to Stoodley Pike.

Founded by Mark in 2016, the youth orchestra performs improvised and semi-improvised music using the stuff that lies around gathering dust in school music cupboards.

The orchestra welcomes young people, whether they have any musical experience or not, and seeks to encourage listening, cooperation, expression and ownership of the music created by its members.

The orchestra has found homes in the schools in which Mark has taught in his role as a primary school music teacher and in workshop form at arts centres and festivals.

The orchestra also manifested as a two-day film scoring workshop for young adults for Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in addition to the ongoing version at Cornholme School, which Mark runs voluntarily to ensure it is accessible to any children who want to take part.

In 2022, the PPYO opened Tor Fest at Todmorden Unitarian Church, kick-starting a programme headlined by Richard Dawson.

Members of the PPYO from Cornholme were also winners of the children's category of the 2024 Sound of the Year Awards.

The album Gabble Ratchets is released by Forged River recordings on June 26 on CD and download and is available for pre-order from www.forged-river.com