AN award-winning choir is celebrating its success in another music festival.

The young members of Lindley Junior School Choir wowed judges when they took to the stage at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall for this year’s Music for Youth Festival.

The choir of eight to 11-year-olds was just one of three junior school choirs to win prizes at the event.

And the choir’s musical director says their success is even more impressive as the last year has marked the choir’s biggest ever intake of new members.

Alison North said: “I’m extremely proud of all of them.

“We’ve had the biggest changeover of children ever so it’s quite an achievement for them to have done so well in a relatively short period of time.”

This year’s festival saw 23 junior choirs taking part from all over the UK, from places as far afield as Devon, Kent and Hampshire.

It was the choir’s eighth appearance at the prestigious event, although this year was its youngest group ever to perform on the stage.

The youngsters performed a variety of songs to the packed audience, including a crowd-pleasing version of The Lion King’s Hakuna Matata and challenging harmony piece Rhythm of Life.

The choir won an award for ‘excellent singing sustained throughout a challenging programme’.

Mrs North said: “They must have been quite nervous taking to that stage for the first time but they were unbelievably confident and self-composed.

“All of the comments from the judges were positive. They said the choir performed with panache and energy and were very accomplished in their singing.

“One comment was that they should share their music and travel to other groups, which was lovely.

“They did extremely well considering we didn’t expect them to win anything as it is such a young choir and we really just went there for the experience.”

Mrs North said she has amazed how far the choir has come considering just a few months ago many of the members had never even sung in public before.

She said she’d had a nightmare on her hands when many of the children left the school last summer to go on to high school.

She said: “We usually lose a few children but last year we lost 32 members out of a choir of 56 – which left us with a record number of places to fill.

“It was a challenge to get numbers back up but we had children queuing up to audition because they had seen what we do when we go out and about singing.

“It is also the youngest choir we’ve had as we got 21 year fours when we usually have about four.”

Just a few months after joining, the children were on stage competing in the Mrs Sunderland and Wharfedale music festivals – and took home prizes at both.

Mrs North said: “The Mrs Sunderland festival in February was only the second time they had sang in public but they won two of their three classes.

“We have had an exceptional year, the pupils have come a really long way and this festival has been the icing on the cake for them.

“I do have high expectations of the choir but they always rise to the challenge.

“They have a lot of fun and I think they get a great buzz and sense of achievement out of getting up and performing for people.”

The choir will welcome 18 new members this September.

They are hoping to continue their winning streak by submitting their entry later this year for next year’s BBC Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year contest

The choir took home the title in 2008.