THE woodwind quintet of the Band of the RAF Regiment has returned to base after performing to more then 700 children.

The group, lead by Chief Technician Ann Joyce, performed an interactive concert which described the work of RAF Music Services and demonstrated the different instruments in a wind quintet to local schools.

For one of the musicians, corporal Neil Chapman, it was a return to his former school when the band travelled to Leicester to perform at Highcliffe Primary School.

He said: "It was very strange being back after 24 years and everything was a lot smaller.

"There was one teacher who remembered me and luckily it was the music teacher."

Each member of the group wore a different uniform to add variety to the performance and help explain our different roles within the RAF and Music Services.

The children were delighted to see Sergeant David Linger who was wearing the tropical ceremonial uniform ahead of the band's imminent visit to India.

He demonstrated the oboe and the bass drum while Sergeant Martin Robbins, wearing the ceremonial uniform, and Corporal Neil Chapman, in working dress, played a duet for piccolo and bassoon, highlighting the largest and the smallest of the woodwind instruments.

Chief technician Ann Joyce, wearing concert dress, played the clarinet and the soprano saxophone, to give a rendition of the theme tune from the Wallace and Gromit films, which received a great response from the audience.

At Leasingham Primary School the band was asked to perform as part of the Friday Awards' Assembly which meant they were able to play to the pupils and their parents and then present certificates to the high achievers in each class.

Over the course of the week the band performed at New Life Nursery and St Botolph's Primary School in Sleaford, Chestnut Street Primary School Ruskington, Cranwell Primary, Leasingham Primary School and Highcliffe Primary School in Leicester.