FINAL rehearsals by a Stirling-based youth orchestra are in full swing with less than a week to go until the city’s first-ever heritage festival, History Live.

Big Noise Raploch will be performing at festival’s opening concert on Friday alongside The Royal Burgh of Stirling Pipe Band and the Glasgow Philharmonia.

The programme will include Dances at Threave by the late Scottish composer John Maxwell Geddes.

The group was set up by the charity Sistema Scotland to change the lives of children in some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities.

Nicola Killean, chief executive of Big Noise – Sistema Scotland, said: “The children at Big Noise Raploch are so excited to be a part of the History Live opening concert, which is why they’ve been practicing so hard in the lead-up to the heritage festival.

“Performances such as History Live are a key part of the Big Noise programme. They give the children confidence, aspiration and the opportunity to perform to a live audience alongside experienced musicians.”

Activities will be taking place in venues across Stirling from Friday, September 29, until Sunday, October 1, as part of Scotland Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.