A TALENTED trumpet player is the best Bard none after he hit the right note to win a major Burns trophy.

Alan Hunter, 17, was named first place and best instrumentalist at the Robert Burns World Federation Schools' Competition.

The Gourock teenager, who is in sixth year at Clydeview Academy, performed a Red Red Rose at the final, held at Irvine Royal Academy in Ayrshire.

Alan said: "I was delighted when I heard I had won.

"I'm a bit of a perfectionist and wasn't happy with my performance when I came off the stage."

But one lady in audience was so impressed with his rendition of the Burns classic that she was moved to pen a letter to a national newspaper praising the youngster.

Writer Moraig Laurie's late husband Ken Gallacher was a jazz expert and friends with many musical legends.

Mrs Laurie wrote: "The sound was exquisite.

"He caressed the melody with such gentleness and the elegance of his tone. For someone of his tender years, it was quite overwhelming.

"My late husband was one of Scotland’s, and perhaps Britain’s, leading jazz aficionados.

"I quickly learned the different tones of Billy Butterfield, Bobby Hackett, Yank Lawson, Warren Vache and, of course, Louis Armstrong, who had a sound of his own.

"At the competition, I heard again that magical tone.

"Well done Alan Hunter, I hope your talent takes you all of the way."

Alan, who lives with his parents Stuart, Lynn and younger sisters Libby, 14, and Connie, eight, in Caledonia Crescent, was delighted to receive such high praise from someone who didn't even know him.

He added: "I'm glad I made such an impression, it's quite overwhelming."

Lynn, 40, is on the committee of Riverside Youth Band and also plays cornet, piano and tenor horn.

She said: "We are really proud of Alan.

"It was lovely for that lady to pick up the jazz aspects of his performance because that's what he wants to be, a profession jazz musician."

Alan, who is principal cornet player in the Riverside Youth Band, said: "You never know who you are playing to."

The teenager is planning a gap year to gain more experience of jazz before applying to the Royal Conservatoire.

He said: "I'm trying to build up as much jazz experience with different big bands and solo functions and plan to pursue a sound production course next year."