YOUNG musicians displayed their talents in the first round of a competition organised by Keighley Rotary Club.

Entrants as young as eight took part in the event, at Keighley Shared Church.

And the standards won high praise from adjudicators Jess Mahler and Emily Overend, who said they were "blown away by the talent on display".

They provided detailed feedback to each participant.

"I was very impressed with the standard of performers and they made our job difficult," Emily added.

Winner of the junior instrumentalist section was Kate Luo. The eight-year-old was the youngest competitor on piano.

The junior vocalist title went to Marcus John Ashworth, ten.

In the senior contest, winning instrumentalist was Callum Whitton, 16, on piano.

And victorious in the vocalist section was 16-year-old Lilli Szasz.

Blessing Clarkson, 16, on alto saxaphone, was highly commended.

Keighley's town mayor, Councillor Luke Maunsell, presented certificates to each performer.

And he too praised the quality on display.

"It was an absolute joy to attend the young musician competition with my aunt," he said.

"Keighley is filled to the brim with talented young people and everyone who took part was outstanding.

"Their musical ability was beyond belief. It was a pleasure to hear them sing and perform and go above and beyond."

Cllr Maunsell also presented prizes to the winners in each category, and wished Callum Whitton and Lilli Szasz – who will both now go on to represent Keighley in a regional competition – well.

Jonathan Smith, president of Keighley Rotary Club, says: "It is inspiring to see so many talented young musicians excelling in a competition environment.

"After a challenging couple of years for everyone, it really is encouraging that competitions like this are still running successfully and proving that Rotary can be a real force in improving the futures of young people."

The contest is amongst eight held nationally every year, for young people aged seven to 17, by Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland.

Mr Smith added: "These competitions are a great way for young people to be challenged in a fun and friendly environment. Rotary is committed to offering young people opportunities to unlock their potential, develop their skills and broaden their horizons."

Anyone interested in getting involved in next year's young musician competition or other Rotary events should email secretary@keighleyrotary.org for further details.

More about the Keighley club and its activities can be found at facebook.com/keighleyrotary.