THE Devonshire Association, which this year celebrates the 150th anniversary of its foundation, will launch a new music section at the Plough Theatre, Torrington, on Monday February 13.

Devonshire Associ-ation members are invited to attend the inaugural meeting in the committee room at 7pm. At 8pm there will be an informal concert in the foyer of the theatre that will feature members who have been working to set up the section, including Paul Wilson and Marilyn Tucker, of Wren Music, Tom and Barbara Brown, professional performers, and organisers of Shammick Acoustic in North Devon, award-winning singer Jim Causley, Chris Caldwell and Susie Hodder-Williams of Music on the Edge, Alan Rosevear and Dartmoor dialect singer Bill Murray.

The concert will also feature 'Roots Acoustic,' one of Wren Music's county-wide youth bands led by Becki Driscoll. Roots is open to anyone between the ages of 13 and 18 years — the current line-up features guitar, fiddle, piano accordion and many other instruments. Many members of the band have been on a cultural exchange to South Africa, where they introduced young people to the great dance and music traditions in Devon.

There is no charge for the concert which will finish at around 10.30pm and non-members of the Devonshire Association are welcome to attend.

The aim of the music section is to promote and recognise music that is indigenous to or has been inspired by the county of Devon, through the performance and study of all styles of music.