FIVE young singers joined Salisbury Musical Society in September, giving them the opportunity to perform in Salisbury Cathedral singing choral works that so far have ranged from Handel’s Messiah to works by Elgar and Szymanowski. The musical society is Salisbury’s principal large amateur choral society performing three big choral concerts a year. The award scheme aims to encourage younger singers to join the choir.

The scheme is open to young people aged between 16 and 23 years and each recipient receives £200 to cover the season from September until the end of June. This year’s recipients will reach the end of their termsoon and the society is looking for five new recruits for September.

Anne Morris went along to one of the society’s rehearsals to talk to four of the award recipients.

Michael Ford, 18, goes to Bishop Wordsworth’s School and is in several school choirs as well as singing with Winterbourne Opera. He plans to study music at Cardiff and has been offered a choral scholarship by Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral and I asked him what this year has meant for him: “I wanted more experience of a wider repertoire and being with different people helps develop social skills as there is an age difference with us and the choir.”

Miles Taylor is also 18 and goes to Bishop Wordsworth’s School. “I have such a love of music and wanted to broaden my musical horizons.

Singing with choirs helps. I sing with my school choirs but I am first and foremost a drummer and I am going to the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London.

I am hoping to join some church choirs in London and some have similar repertoires to this choir. I had never come across Szymanowski before, it has so broadened my mind to a different kind of music. It has been good to be challenged and the performance on the night was fantastic.

Billie Homer is 22 and works at Porton. “I used to sing when I was at school and I wanted to get back into it. I didn’t know any of the music we have performed and I know I will be much more confident about singing now and I hope to carry on singing. Being an auditioning choir, this has given me a lot of confidence.”

Vicky Danaher is the youngest of the recipients.

She is 16 and goes to Sarum Academy. “I love music and I wanted to carry on with my hobby. The music we have sung is a completely different genre of music to what I know and it is good to be doing something in the community.

It has given me such confidence and I would recommend it to anyone who might be thinking about it.”

n If you are interested in being part of Salisbury Musical Society’s award scheme, there is further information and an application form online at salisburymusicalsociety.org.uk.