HAMPSHIRE'S Arts chief is on a crusade to find a permanent home for the county's musical youth group.

Hampshire Music Services offices are in Gordon Road, Winchester, but the building does not contain practice facilities and is due to become part of St Bede's Primary School in December 2001, as part of an education review.

The music service uses schools around the county to carry out music ensembles. But Alan Rice, chairman of Hampshire County Council's recreation and heritage committee has asked the county's estates department to find a new home .

The project is in an exploratory phase, but they are looking at sites in Winchester and Eastleigh. Mr Rice would like the new centre to be called the Hampshire County Music Centre.

He said: "I would like to find the music service a permanent spiritual home and I'm hoping we will do so in the next 12 months."

Richard Howlett, head of the music centre, welcomed the move: "It would certainly be helpful if we could have musical activity where the centre is built, but my main priority now is Hampshire's Music 2000 event."

This will see 2,000 musical performances take place throughout the county, culminating in a three-day finale involving 2,000 children playing at the Anvil, Basingstoke, in July.

Mr Howlett added: "This festival is the chance to give to many of the children and others the chance to celebrate music in the community."

Music 2000 has launched another initiative called Club 2000 which hopes to obtain 2,000 instruments by next July for the concert. So far they have collected 800 for use by schools and music groups so that parents do not have to splash out on expensive instruments.

To join Club 2000, members donate £20, which enables them to receive discounts at shops, free tickets and special offers at music events in the county.

Application forms are available from Hampshire Music Service, Gordon Road, Winchester, SO23 7DD.

Visit the Music 2000 website at www.hants.gov.uk/education/hm2000.

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