TWO clarinettists from a school in Bushey will be the only British representatives to play at an international music festival.

Ten-year-old prodigy, Julian Bliss of the Purcell School of Music in Aldenham Road, Bushey, will join Mr Spencer Pitfield, a practice co-ordinator at the school, at the World Clarinet Congress in the summer.

The pair will be jetting off to Oklahoma in America from Monday, July 10 to Sunday, July 16, to join the world's renowned clarinettists for a week-long music extravaganza.

Mr Pitfield said: 'This is a great honour for any clarinettist because this festival is the one musical event everyone always dreams of playing in.

'I am a little jealous that Julian is only ten and has been asked to play so soon and I have had to wait until the age of 31.

'It is almost unheard of for someone so young to take part in the festival, but Julian really is a fantastic player.'

The Purcell musicians were selected by The International Clarinet Association based in America.

In order to qualify, contenders must send in a tape of their playing, write a programme for the festival as well as submit their CV's.

The entry deadline for this year's festival was at the end of December. It has taken more than three months for Julian and Mr Pitfield to find out whether they were picked to join other international clarinettists.

Julian, who can already play a full concerto, has become a smash hit with audiences, playing on a number of occasions for HRH Prince Charles and on the children's television programme, Blue Peter.

He said: 'I can't wait to go to America and play in the biggest clarinet festival in the world.

'I have some family there and, after the congress, my parents and I will be going to Disneyland. It will be a fantastic tip.'

Mr Pitfield said: 'Last year, I gave a lecture at the congress in Ostend, Belgium, but this is my first invitation performance and it will be really wonderful to be there with Julian.

'Competition for a place at this event is fierce and it is quite incredible that Julian and I were both selected as the only performing representatives from the UK.

'This visit will be special not just for us but for Bushey as well because we are both from the same school of music in the village.'

Mr Pitfield has in the past played for Queen Beatrix of Holland while he was studying at The Rotterdam Conservatoire in 1993 and he also played for Nelson Mandela in 1997 as part of the New York-based Harlem Dance Company, when it toured South Africa.

A spokesman for the Purcell School of Music said: 'It is a significant achievement that the only two British clarinettists invited to perform are from our school. This is wonderful for our reputation and for Bushey.