Boothtown scout plays tenor horn for Captain Tom

The Trinity Academy student has spent his lockdown practicing his tenor horn and lifting spirits every Thursday at 8pm.

Andrew first started performing on April 9 with a rendition of 'Somewhere over the rainbow'. Neighbours and friends soon began to request songs and after videos were posted online Andrew was asked to play a digital concert as part of Captain Tom's 100th birthday celebrations.

Andrew's performance was watched by over 93,000 people and he was later asked to perform on VE Day as part of the online celebrations organised by the Facebook Group 'To Honour Captain Tom & All Veterans And The NHS.'

Andrew said: "Playing music during lockdown has given me something other than my studies to focus on.Having a creative outlet allows young people to express themselves more freely as individuals and help with their mental well-being."

Andrew has also been learning how to compose and arrange music, which has helped him transcribe new song for future performances.

Outside of music, Andrew is a keen scout and is a member of 25th St Mark's Scout Group in Siddal.

Andrew's father, Phil Naylor said: "As parents we are proud of his achievements and now even more so that he spends time learning new pieces of music each week to be able to play whilst local residents clap the NHS and key workers during this difficult time."