More than 180 young musicians from Oxfordshire are representing the county at one of the world's largest youth music festivals.

The National Festival of Music for Youth, which kicked off in Birmingham today and runs all week, involves more than 10,000 youngsters.

The line-up includes choirs, orchestras, steel bands, rock, pop and urban groups, brass bands, music theatre groups and jazz bands.

From Oxfordshire, 182 children from eight groups are taking part.

Percussionist Jonathan Stock, 18, from Cumnor, is representing three groups at the festival, as well as working for organisers Music for Youth.

He said: "I'm a bit of a veteran now - it's about my fourth or fifth year performing in Birmingham.

"It's a great experience and I still get the same thrill performing in Symphony Hall.

"The festival is a celebration of youth music, but there's a bit of competition as well.

"It's all about giving young people the opportunity to come along and perform in a different venue and see what other groups are doing - you get to see an amazing variety of groups."

Pupils from St Andrew's Primary School, in Headington, Oxford, are taking part in the festival after forming a gamelan group, an Indonesian musical ensemble featuring instruments such as xylophones, drums, gongs and bamboo flutes.

Headteacher Susan Baker said: "It's very unusual to have a gamelan group in school - we are very lucky and the children are very excited."

In total, 315 groups will perform live to audiences at venues in Birmingham including Symphony Hall, Town Hall, Carling Academy and the Adrian Boult Hall.

Liz Stock, acting head of Oxfordshire County Music Service, added: "It's really very special to have so many groups represented."

The Oxfordshire groups taking part were: Ilex Quartet, County Music Service St Birinus Jazz , St Birinus School, Didcot Oxfordshire Youth Percussion Ensemble, County Music Service Oxfordshire Youth Wind Band, County Music Service St Andrew's Gamelan Group, St Andrew's Primary School, Oxford Wood Green School Boys Choir, Witney Oxfordshire County Clarinet Choir, County Music Service Oxfordshire Central Music School Sinfonia, County Music Service.