Tenor Alfie Boe has certainly done his bit in making opera ‘cool’ as he continues to mix the popular and the classical.

But despite endearing himself to millions of fans around the world and spending much of his time in the United States, it’s heart-warming to hear he’s keen to put something back into his county of birth.

Alfie has agreed to become the patron and ‘music champion’ of the Blackburn with Darwen Music Education Hub to help raise the organisation’s profile.

Rather than simply being a ‘name’ associated with the hub, Alfie will visit East Lancashire to work with the next generation of musicians.

Alfie continues to win praise for his work and has a number of accolades to his name, making him an excellent role model.

Hopefully, his presence alone will inspire more youngsters to immerse themselves in an art form enjoyed by so many and which must be nurtured.

Opera really is a universal language for expressing emotion, attracting a diverse range of people.

This area has an excellent track record of breeding talents, such as Sean Ruane and Grace O’Malley, so let’s hope Alfie can play his part in unearthing and mentoring the next batch.