AWARD winning Welsh choral director Aled Phillips wants South Manchester singers to hit the high notes in a new community choir..

Aled has been appointed as the new head of music at St. Ambrose College in Hale Barns and as well as developing a series of new choirs for the boys at all age levels he wants to establish a local community choir.

Educated in his home town of Wrexham and at the University of Bangor, Aled has a stunning record as a choir master. His new Welsh male voice Choir 'John's Boys' has reached the final of the hugely prestigious National Choir of the Year competition to be judged in December.

This is only the latest honour for his charges; as a choral director Aled has previously achieved much national and international success. His choirs have won numerous prizes including, first prize at the world renowned International Eisteddfod Llangollen, at the National Eisteddfod of Wales and as well as the National Choir of the Year.

Aled has taught in a number of schools in Wales where his choirs have again enjoyed success in Music for Youth, Children's Choir of the Year competitions and international prizes in festivals including Bangor and Belfast.

He hopes St. Ambrose students will continue that record: “Singing has become an important part of lessons and after only six weeks we have already started to form choirs including the senior choir which we have already entered for the Barnardos School Choir of the Year Competition.”

He added:”The senior choir are busy working hard to record two songs which will then be sent off to a panel of judges to decide if they will gain a play in the final which is to be held in London's glittering Festival Hall early 2017."

He said: “Thankfully choral music has become popular again with many choirs, I have to point out, a great many of them Welsh, enjoying fame on national television programmes such Britain’s Got Talent."

He added: “Part of the attraction especially for young people is that choral music is not restricted to hymns or standards but we are now also performing arrangements of current songs.”

He added: "You don't have to sound like Paul Robeson or Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, just love singing and enjoy the fellowship of working towards a common goal.”

Aled asks anyone who wants to join a choir based in Hale Barns to contact him either at St. Ambrose College on 0161 980 2711 or through his email: cantorion@hotmail.com.