A TEENAGER who has already sung alongside Sting and Katherine Jenkins has been shortlisted for Chorister of the Year.

Liam Jones, 13, will compete against seven other youngsters for the BBC Radio 2 prize in the final at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral later this month.

The former Durham Cathedral chorister, from near Chester-le-Street, said: “My father got a phone call from Radio 2. I was very happy.

“I felt it was good to do it for Durham because I’m the first ever Durham boy chorister to get through this far.

“It’s a great privilege and it’s really fun. Hopefully, I will win.”

Liam, now on a music scholarship to Durham School, was made a probationer chorister at Durham Cathedral in January 2006, becoming a full chorister a year later.

He sang on two tours to Versailles, at the Sage Gateshead and performed solos on BBC Radio 3’s Choral Evensong, before becoming too old for the choir in July.

Last year, Liam sang with Sting for the recording of the Wallsend-born pop superstar’s A Winter’s Night DVD and Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins at Sir Bobby Robson’s memorial service, both at Durham Cathedral.

The Chorister of the Year competition is in its 25th year. The final, hosted by Aled Jones, will be held on Friday, October 29, broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday, November 7, and featured on BBC One’s Songs of Praise on Sunday, February 6.

In front of the judges – composer John Rutter and Fame Academy’s Carrie Grant – Liam will sing Haydn’s Benedictus.

The Very Reverend Michael Sadgrove, the Dean of Durham, said: “We’re tremendously proud of Liam. He has given so much to the cathedral choir, with commitment and passion.

“He loves singing. He’s been a real star musically in the cathedral and in a sense I’m not surprised he’s got to the final, because he’s very talented and he works extremely hard at his music.

He’s such a nice lad too.”

James Lancelot, the Master of the Choristers and Organist, said: “It’s a source of great pride for us all, whatever happens on the 29th.”