The sound of music will ring out, rock and hip hop across Nottingham this weekend when up to 200 young musicians play 24-hours of non-stop music to raise money for Water Aid.

Nottingham Music School's Concert Orchestra, The Brassery and Stage Band, the CYC, Nottingham’s City Youth Choir, and World Music groups are leading the event, that starts at 1pm on Friday, July 4.

It incorporates the first Colwickstock Bands Festival in Colwick Park on the Friday evening featuring Nottingham’s best young rock and pop bands and culminates in a big open air performance at the Robin Hood Statue beneath Nottingham Castle at 12.15pm on Saturday, July 5.

Snapewood School, in Bulwell, will start the music marathon as part of a schools music relay. Snapewood choir is one of only 18 schools in the country to win a Platinum Sing Up award from the National Singing Programme set up to put singing at the heart of every primary school.

More than 100 musicians and singers aged 11 to 19 have already pledged to keep the music going to raise money for Water Aid, a charity which provides safe water and sanitation to the world’s poorest people. Water Aid’s Clean Water Africa project was chosen by members of the Nottingham Music School Concert Orchestra who wanted to help people who don’t have access to clean water. A child dies every 15 seconds from water-related illnesses, but just £15 will buy someone a lasting supply of safe water and sanitation.

Nottingham schools are being asked to kick off the mammoth session with a singing relay from 1pm to 4pm before the action moves to the College Street Arts in Education Centre where the Nottingham Music School’s big bands, orchestra and music groups will take over. The event is being co-ordinated by Nottingham City Council’s Music Service which is based at the College Street Centre. Young people wanting to take part in the music marathon can sing in CYC at College Street Centre on Friday from 4pm to 7pm.

The Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Councillor Gul Nawaz Khan, will lift the baton for the start of the marathon at Snapewood School. Sponsorship forms are available at Nottingham Council House or on-line at www.justgiving.com/24hoursingandplay to support the event and help Nottingham’s young musicians raise as much as possible for the charity.

Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio holder for Children’s Services, Councillor David Mellen, said: “This marathon has been organised by the city’s young musicians at Nottingham Music School who decided they wanted to do something to help some of the poorest people in the world who live each day without the benefit of clean water.

“I hope as many of us as possible, both individually and through the organisations we represent, will not only help them make their huge effort worthwhile but also enjoy some of the best music available in Nottingham from our schools, bands and young performers across the city.”

For more information about the 24 hour sing and play or about Nottingham Music School, please contact Priya Patel on 0115 9476202. A schedule for the 24 hour sing and play is below.