A KINCARDINE teenager has come a close second in the national Boys' Brigade talent competition, beating hundreds of entries.

Ciaran Cook, 16, of the 1st Tulliallan Company, performed a one-man brass band version of Mr Blue Sky filled with trumpets, a horn, trombone and a variety of percussion.

The competition was run by the Boys' Brigade and saw videos submitted before a public vote decided the winner.

Ciaran was just 29 votes off winning the competition, which included 817 entries from all across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The youngster said: "It took me a day to record all the different parts.

"Mr Blue Sky is a great song; I've played it before in my school band, and the arrangement is good.

"I've been playing the cornet since I was in P2 so a long time."

The talented musician also plays principal cornet at the Blackwatch Army Cadet Force band in Dunfermline and was chosen to play the Last Post for the VE Day celebrations at Culross Abbey a few weeks ago.

Darren Empson, captain of the 1st Tulliallan Company, added: "I thought the video was absolutely fantastic.

"Ciaran is a very talented musician and he can also play the piano and fiddle on top of everything else.

"He keeps me right when we're all practising.

"The Boys' Brigade is a massive family tradition for his family. His grandad started the company band in 1981 and his mum and uncle are also involved.

"We knew he was going to be great as soon as his grandad started teaching him cornet at a very young age.

"The organisation has just been trying to do things to keep everyone involved at the moment.

"It's a shame for Ciaran because he was about to be presented with his highest certificate, the Queen's Badge, that he been working on for the last two years."