A Suffolk choir boy is proving to be a hit on the ITV show The Voice Kids after being chosen by singer songwriter Paloma Faith to go through to the next round of the show.
James Hodgkinson, 13, from Woolverstone, near Ipswich, was picked from 10,000 hopefuls to take part in the television show almost a year ago and has negotiated his way throught the auditions.
He performed an impromptu duet of The Snowman’s ‘Walking in the Air’ with Paloma Faith on Saturday night after she was impressed with his singing skills and has a chance of scooping the £30,000 prize money plus a dream holiday to Disneyland Paris.
James has been attending St Edmunds School in Canterbury for his scholarship as a chorister and will be returning to Suffolk to attend St Joseph’s College in Ipswich from September.
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He has been a member of the Canterbury Cathedral Choir since he was eight performing six days a week including a performance at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.
In October 2016, James flew out to Rome to sing for the Pope and in 2018 embarked on a two-week tour of America performing in Los Angeles and New Jersey.
The Voice Kids, hosted by presenter Emma Willis, is the junior version of “The Voice” in which children aged seven to 14 take to the stage to perform in front of a crowd of thousands.
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Speaking of his success on the show, James said: “I’m really excited about my appearance on television. I loved singing in front of that big audience and the famous celebrities.
“It is a fantastic opportunity for me to show people all over the country what I can do. It was great when the audience all stood up at the end. I didn’t know I’d have to sing Walking In The Air but that was very special.
“I hope that all this helps me to become a professional singer and I would love to record some stuff whilst I still have a treble voice.”
James’ father, Chris Hodgkinson, said: “As parents we are immensely proud of what he has achieved so far. He has always loved singing and performing and we wait to see where all this might take him in the future.”
To view the clip on ITV’s The Voice Kids, click here.
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