A JUNIOR choir from Longton are tuning-up to perform at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music in the first heat of Sainsbury's 'Choir of the Year' contest.

And the musical youngsters from St Oswald's Catholic Primary School are in fine form after recording a 12-track CD.

The 51-strong choir are preparing for the big day on May 3 by practising their harmonies in their lunch hour with singing teacher Alison Halik who entered them for the national competition.

If they get into the finals in November the talented bunch will get to perfom at The Lowry, Manchester -- a venue on the same scale as London's Royal Albert Hall and popular with the Royal Shakespeare Company -- and be in with a chance of scooping the £3,000 top prize.

"The standard is very high this year and it is the first time we have entered. But I think in our ten minute performance we can make an impression," said Alison.

The award-winning choir, who have scooped trophies at musical festivals in Freckleton and Crosby, will perform three songs including a Macedonian number.

Meanwhile the youngsters have been busy recording their CD with the help of amateur music maker Gavin Armstrong, whose son Andrew, in Year 5, sings in the choir.

The choir gathered in school for their first recording session for the CD with music supply teacher Christine Winter last month.

"It was a fun day we sang and then stopped for lunch and then continued until we had 12 tracks perfected and recorded. Mr Armstrong has been very kind to take so much time and the children loved it," said Alison.

The CD, a mixture of folk, popular classics and world music, also features three solo performances from Amy Gorton, Matthew Keefe and Suzanne Riley who are leaving St Oswald's for high school in July.