As we were going to press yesterday (Thursday), students from Tenby's Greenhill School were planning to protest outside an AM's surgery as they fight to save instrumental lessons from financial cuts.
Chairman of the Supporters of Greenhill Orchestra (SOGO), Angela Roberts, was due to meet with regional AM Nerys Evans at the Regency Hall to lobby her for support.
It was the latest step in a campaign against the school's proposals to make a £59,000 budget saving by not buying music tuition in from Pembrokeshire County Council.
If the proposals go ahead, it will mean that students will not receive music lessons in school from the peripetetic staff, and those who borrow instruments will have to return them. The award-winning orchestra and other musical groups in the school are likely to fold, and there would be a knock-on effect for the county, Three Counties and national groups.
Private funding - either from parents or fund-raising - could be the only option open to allow tuition to continue.
Support for the campaign has already been received from two world-renowned musicians, cellist, Julian Lloyd Webber, and conductor Grant Llewellyn, who hails from South Pembrokeshire, while today (Friday), Mrs. Roberts is due to meet local MP Nick Ainger. The BBC are also covering the row and will be filming the orchestra during the morning.
Meanwhile, concerned students, parents and friends have been writing letters of support to headteacher, Mr. Chris Noble, chairman of the school governors, Mr. Pip Parker, and the Welsh Assembly.
But the protest will not end there.
Silcox Coaches have offered three buses to take the orchestra to The Senedd in Cardiff Bay to lobby the Welsh Assembly, while Chevron have pledged support by sponsoring a fund-raising concert at Folly Farm, Begelly, on May 28.
The students themselves have been protesting against the funding threat by wearing their orchestra uniform to lessons, rather than their school uniform, while they have also set-up a Facebook group, 'Help Keep the Music in Greenhill', which had 300 members join in its first day.
"This is all pretty distressing," said Mrs. Roberts, following a protest meeting attended by parents and pupils on Monday evening.
"It is an absolutely desperate situation and is ripping the heart out of the school," she continued.
"The timing is terrible too. Students have started their A and AS Levels this week and have been devastated by the news."
Admist the controversy, the school orchestra had their audition for the National Festival of Music for Youth.
They played with passion and were described as 'like a professional orchestra'.
And in his report, the adjudicator referred to the funding threat as 'criminal to penalise such talent and dedication'.
Added Mrs. Roberts: "Our campaign is only in its early stages, but we have been overwhelmed with support so far. We were told at the meeting on Monday that there would be uproar when the community finds out and that's certainly been the case. We are grateful to everyone, especially Chevron, who have been our major sponsor for many years, and Chris Ebsworth, of Folly Farm, for donating the venue for next month's concert."
Greenhill's headteacher, Mr. Chris Noble, explained that the need to cut the budget had come because an additional £271,000 would be required to pay for its statutory services.
"We were prudent last year and had built up a surplus of £108,000 from the previous year, but we still have a shortfall of £163,000.
"We had a meeting a couple of weeks ago - attended by the new head, Jan Kingston - to look at non-statutory expenditure which could be reduced, and one of the possible savings was not paying for instrumental lessons which are received by 167 students out of a total roll number of 1,337.
"Unfortunately the orchestra is not mandatory and sadly money for music lessons is not ring-fenced.
"We need to make savings and some things have got to go. We have got to get through a difficult patch. I am deeply sympathetic to those concerned. It is not something we want to do, but something we have to do."
Mr. Noble and the chairman of the governors, Mr. Pip Parker, are due to meet with the director of education, Mr. Gerson Davies, today (Friday), to look through all the figures again.
"We will then mull it over during the Easter holidays and announce what we are going to do when we return to school," Mr. Noble added.
"It is really tough."
Mr. Noble, whose daughter Katy was leader of the orchestra when she was a pupil of the school, has also pledged to spend part of the first year of his retirement helping to fund-raise for the orchestra.
The school's business manager, Andrea Perry, has also agreed to set-up a charitable trust for the fund-raisers.
The music lessons, however, are not the only service in the balance.
Mr. Noble added that drama - which he introduced to the curriculum when he joined Greenhill 15 years ago - was also under the spotlight, while he was the only one of five members of staff being replaced when they leave at the end of the summer term. The number of tutor groups in Years 7-9 was also being looked at.
Pembrokeshire County Council says that while the decision to end instrumental tuition at Greenhill was an internal one taken by the school, the authority was 'naturally disappointed' as there was a long history of investment by the authority in teaching music at the school.
The council's funding of music at Greenhill increases each year. In contrast, it was recently announced that the Welsh Assembly Government's funding of Sixth Forms in Pembrokeshire was to be cut by 7.5 per cent.
Said the council's cabinet member for children, young people, learning and Welsh language, Clr. Huw George: "A large proportion of pupils at Greenhill are involved with music and the school is recognised as a centre of excellence for music throughout Wales.
"It has made an invaluable contribution to music at both county, three counties and national levels. By taking this decision, Greenhill is depriving pupils of opportunities to participate in music at the highest stage and that is a great shame.
"I understand the school may yet reconsider its decision and I sincerely hope this is the case."
Simon Hart, Conservative parliamentary candidate, said: "Greenhill has made every possible effort to minimise the effects of their budget shortfall this year, but the rug has been pulled from under the school by the Labour-Plaid administration in Cardiff.
"If this action takes place, then it is as a direct result of the Welsh Assembly Government cutting funds in vital areas."
Nick Bourne, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, has written to Pembrokeshire County Council and the Minister for Education to express his concern about the budget shortfall at Greenhill School, Tenby.
Nick Bourne said: "I am very concerned about the threat to music services at Greenhill School due to this inadequate funding settlement.
"Over the years the Greenhill Orchestra has performed and won just about every possible award that a school orchestra can and it has achieved a remarkable standard of excellence.
"This asset is vital to the spirit and pride of the school representing as it does much hard work and fund-raising undertaken to develop it over many years. Its loss would be nothing less than shameful.
"I have written to Pembrokeshire County Council and the Minister of Education to see what can be done to save Greenhill School orchestra."