HEAVY rain on Sunday forced Malvern Town Council to cancel the Bands in the Park concert, the first in the season.

The Alcester Victoria Silver Band was booked to perform at the bandstand in Priory Park, to kick off the annual season of 15 concerts.

But continual heavy rain meant the band, one of the oldest established brass bands in the country, was unable to use the electrical amplification equipment in the bandstand.

Town clerk Richard Chapman said: "It was a terrible shame, We had to cancel the concert but better that than people getting soaked."

This is the sixth year the town council has organised a Bands in the Park season, which has come to be a well-attended and much-loved part of the summer season in Malvern.

This year, each band has agreed to play music by Elgar as part of the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth tomorrow on Saturday, June 2.

This week's concert features the Lydbrook Band, which is presenting an entire programme of Elgar music. Mr Chapman said arrangements have been made for the band to perform inside Malvern Theatres should the weather be wet again.

The concert starts at about 2.30pm, and there will be a collection for Malvern Special Families.