A TRIO of talented siblings have been leading the field at Perth City Halls in the competition Perform in Perth.

The flute-playing children of the Kinross-based Elwis family have each won first prize in the event, formerly the Perthshire Musical Festival.

The sparkling success began with only the second event in the two-week programme when, on Monday, Murdo Elwis (9), a pupil at Kinross Primary School, became the first “honours” winner with a score of 90 in the elementary flute solo class.

That afternoon, Murdo’s sister Morag (13), who attends Kinross High, was joint first in the intermediate flute solo class, minutes before his other sister, Strathallan School pupil Ciara (12), won the advanced competition.

Yesterday, the children’s mother Karen, a manager for internet-based translation firm Lingo 24, praised music teacher Barbara Newland, of Falkland, for her work with all three.

Each sibling also plays a second instrument—Murdo the piano accordion, Morag the fiddle and Ciara the guitar.

Neither Karen nor her husband Alister, an agricultural contractor, is especially musical but they have always ensured a musical education is a high priority, with Ciara and Murdo starting theirs aged six and Morag when she was 10.

Karen said, “I thought it was really important. Everywhere you read how important it is for kids to have something that they enjoy doing. I found that mine enjoyed music and from a learning point of view, there are lots of benefits to be derived. It’s a good brain exercise.”