A BURNLEY man who has entertained audiences around the world with his musical ability has been invited back to his home town to perform.

Professional soloist Mark Pollard, 28, (pictured in New York) will play with the Burnley Municipal Symphony Orchestra - of which he was once a member - on Sunday at Burnley Mechanics, at 7.30pm.

He will play the lead bassoon in Weber's Bassoon Concerto in a concert featuring Ravel's Bolero, the New World Symphony by Dvorak and the Valse Triste by Sibelius.

Mark, who played for both the Burnley Youth Orchestra and the Municipal Orchestra while still at school, went on to the Royal Northern College of Music, where he won many prizes and scholarships.

Since then he has played with the European Youth Orchestra as principal bassoon and the World Youth Orchestra and has studied in New York with one of the world's best bassoonists, Kim Walker.

Mark's first music lesson was at St Mary's RC Primary School in Burnley, where he was taught by Mary Ashworth.

He is now pursuing a career in London and mainland Europe playing both orchestral and chamber music.

Tickets: £6 advance, £6.50 on the day, from Burnley Mechanics.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.