REHEARSALS WERE held yesterday ahead of world-renowned conductor Frank Battisti’s date at the Caird Hall for a performance by city school pupils tomorrow.

Mr Battisti, who pioneered a school band training programme in New York in the 1950s, is making Dundee one of the stops in his hectic global schedule this year.

He spent the weekend rehearsing with secondary youngsters ahead of the Caird Hall concert with the Senior Wind Ensemble.

Mr Battisti is the conductor emeritus of the New England Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble. His visit is part of a Dundee City Council policy that allows children to learn from music and performance.

Councillor Kevin Keenan, education convener, said, “The education department is using music and performance as a way of building children’s self-confidence and to motivate them to achieve in other aspects of their school life.”