ST Alban's, one of the junior schools at Worcester's King's School, has a flourishing choir membership which makes up 11 of the 18-strong Cathedral Choir.

Choristers join the choir from the age of seven. Some may already be pupils at the school and others join as part of a choristership.

Many of the choristers live some way from school so an alarm call at 6.30am or earlier is not unusual.

When they arrive at school, choristers usually join assembly. At this time of year they provide the descant parts of carols, as all 180 children at the school prepare for the annual carol service held in the cathedral.

The singers then all take part in normal lessons, including English, maths, languages, science, ICT, art and design, as well as sport.

All choristers play at least one musical instrument, which currently includes the French horn, trombone, cello, electric guitar, organ and percussion instruments.

Before lunch they have a break, and afterwards will usually take part in a club, such as orchestra or Latin, yoga or chess, flute group or cricket nets.

Rehearsals are a lively affair, with a strong sense of competition instilled between the two halves of the choir - known as Cantoris and Decani.

On some evenings there might be an informal concert in the choir school for an audience of parents.

On more formal occasions, a wider audience attends Choristers in Concert either in College Hall, the mediaeval cathedral monastery refectory, or the Chapter House.

After just over a year as a probationer, choristers go through a special service, presided over by the Dean, in which a white surplice is added to their red cassock.

Seniority and experience are recognised through the awarding of special medals, such as the Elgar Scholar or Friends of Worcester Cathedral Medal.

Boys leave the choir when their voice breaks or on their 14th birthday.

As well as performing in local engagements, they have the chance to sing further afield, and some recently performed before royalty at Birmingham's Symphony Hall. The choir tours abroad regularly, visiting the US in 2004 and this October spent five days in Vienna, Austria.

Jack Furber, aged nine, said they had got the chance to sample Mozart Balls - a delicious mixture of chocolate and marzipan, which were "fantastic".

Fellow chorister Gregory Bunker, 10, added: "Singing in Liszt Hall was amazing, so was the view from the tower of Vienna cathedral."

This time of year, along with Easter, is busier than usual for the choristers and Gregory and Jack said they had special memories of the midnight masses from both occasions.

Gregory said: "I love ringing the bells at Easter midnight mass. We're allowed to be as loud as we can!"

And Jack added: "Wearing our special bow ties at Christmas and the candlelit cathedral is special."

Master of the choristers Adrian Lucas said the chorister experience was: "A wonderful opportunity to see music-making at its very best through participation in recordings, broadcasts and even international tours. It is a great opportunity for youngsters to grow and develop their skills alongside their wider education in a most creative way.

"Worcester Cathedral has a wonderful, close relationship with the King's School and this is an enormous help to the boys in their incredibly busy schedule.

"I am absolutely sure that without this their successes would be so much more difficult to achieve."

And the boys, who manage to squeeze in choir commitments, music, and the demands of academic life, admit sometimes they miss time to play with friends.

But when asked if it is worth it, both Jack and Gregory said: "Oh, yes!"