The musicians of tomorrow, aged seven to seventeen, instruments at their side, can take a break at a Music Centre in Hillingdon after their Saturday morning lessons.

But there may not be a place for Hillingdon’s musicians of tomorrow if funding is cut.

The Hillingdon Music Service is ‘under review’ after Hillingdon Council decided to withdraw its £750,000 subsidy in February.

It came amid more popular financial decisions to freeze council tax, contribute to the HS2 fighting fund, and to keep the borough’s libraries open.

Music students, young people and parents protested in support of the service, waving placards and singing with a full orchestra outside the Civic Centre during the meeting.

Head of Hillingdon Against Cuts, set up in November 2010, former councillor Wally Kennedy said: “It’s outrageous. There is no need for these cutbacks.

“This is for youth, the music of the future,” he added.

“£26million is being made in cutbacks – the effects will be felt for years, not just one.”

Over 400 children attend the centre for 30 sessions per year, as well as performances throughout the year at London’s South Bank Centre, the Royal Albert Hall and tours to Europe.

Hillingdon Music Service provide tuition to 2,000 pupils on instruments and styles from pop guitar, jazz saxophone and classical percussion in all mainstream schools.

Mr Kennedy said: “The alternative is that, unless you are quite well off, there is no opportunity for children to learn to play an instrument.

“It is a proud tradition in Hillingdon and a real part of the community. Many thousands of children used to play at Hillingdon Music Service.

“It gives them confidence to develop and to express themselves.”

Council leader Ray Puddifoot said: “We provide 800 services to Hillingdon, we pride ourselves on our financial policy, but we came across an area in the music service that was unable to justify the allowance it receives.”

He promised announcements would be made in May – and that no Facebook campaigns, placards or banner-waving would influence the decision.

But, four months later, Cllr Puddifoot’s address on May 24 has not made the situation clearer.

Head of Hillingdon Against Cuts, former councillor Wally Kennedy, said: “The position is meant to be hazy.

“You’ll find people are cagey of what they say - they are afraid of upsetting the council. It’s ironic, isn’t it? And it’s self-destroying – we should step up as a community against this.”

An independent working group will find cost-effective ways to run the service in July.

Yvonne Tarrant, one of the 355 people who joined the Facebook page ‘SAVE Hillingdon Music Service!’, said: “No news to be honest. They said they will be running next year, but they are insistent on lower wages for teachers. They want it to be run in a different way. So I guess we will see how the future goes.”

Mr Kennedy said the council plan to increase the fees for the Music Centre but the exact increase is not known.

“The funding should come from the Government,” he said.

“The Government, instead of feeding us lies about the economy, should concentrate on collecting the £100billion of unpaid taxes from businesses in the city.”

Last year, The Green New Deal Group estimated more than £100 billion a year is lost to HM Revenue & Customs from unpaid and illegally dodged taxes.

The Friends of Hillingdon Music Service, a registered charity, are the equivalent to the Parent Teachers Association.

They help run events and concerts, provide refreshments, fundraise for instruments and support students or families in financial difficulties.

They are described as ‘a shadow subsidy’ doing work that would otherwise cost the council.

Sandra Michaelson has been involved with the Friends of Hillingdon Music Service for 14 years. Parents at the Music Centre have expressed concerns to her about the situation.

However, she said: “I can’t say much now. We will have meetings later and we are just helping the Music Service out as much as we can. I’m stepping down this year, but I am quite willing to help to the end.”

The Hillingdon Music Service Management Committee is the equivalent to a school’s governing body, with representatives of Music Centre staff, students, head teachers and music teachers, councillors, the Friends, former students and local businesses.

Their chairman, Glyn Martin, said: “The situation is rather fluid and there is a great deal of activity going on which may mean the continuance of the Music Service.

“A new structure has been created and will come into force in September,” she added.

“The news is, however, less gloomy than we feared at one stage.”

Parents were not consulted when the council drew up the yearly budget and Cllr Puddifoot apologised that the cost of £1.4million a year, half through a council subsidy, had gone unaccounted for.

He said: “Until we got these figures we didn’t know what this was costing us, and that is a very sad thing for me to have to say. It was such a successful service that nobody has looked at it.”

John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, raised this for debate in Parliament on February 15 expressing concerns on cutting the funding of the service which has provided local children to opportunity to play a musical instrument.

He said the proposal was damaging.

The Government’s pledges to keep music education a priority has not led to its financial security.

The Coalition Government committed to keep ring-fenced grants for music education at £82.5million, the same as the last few years in response to the Henley report.

Classic FM’s Darren Henley published a review to improve children’s access to music education across England and the Government stated this as a top academic priority.

The Government stated in the report: “There is evidence that music and cultural activity can further not only the education and cultural agendas but also the aspirations for the Big Society.”

The Government has pledged to change how funding is distributed the Federation of Music Services which provides instruments and teachers to state schools, and bring in a national plan for music education.

But the budgets of projects such as In Harmony have been halved.

Hillingdon Music Service aims to give every child in Hillingdon the opportunity to make music, develop creative ideas and discover the power of musical expression.

But against a backdrop of funding cuts to music education, Government pledges may ring empty.

Whether the musicians of tomorrow will have this opportunity is uncertain.

Hillingdon Against Cuts will hold their next monthly public meeting to discuss the impact of the latest cuts on June 16th, 6:30pm, at Friends Meeting House, York/Belmont Road, Uxbridge. Anyone is welcome.