My Passion with Alex Duckett: A lifetime of enjoyment hitting the high notes

I came to believe I could sing when, aged eight, my parents took me for a choral scholarship, at Ripon Cathedral Choir School in North Yorkshire.

Sadly, however, I was rejected due to a limited vocal range. Preceding this, I enjoyed singing along to Motown and bands such as The Drifters from the living room at home, belting out the hymns in church, and I had also embarked on lessons in the piano and the oboe.

Having discovered this passion for singing at such an early age, I went on to win a music scholarship to Uppingham School, in Rutland, at 13.

With my voice breaking soon afterwards, I quickly discovered a talent for choral singing and a budding aspiration to perform, which, once honed and toned down by my singing teacher, earned me my place in the school choir. I went on to captain this during my final two years at Uppingham.

I was happy to perform in the various school concerts, which took me from small lunchtime recitals in the local church and school musical productions, to concerts in numerous English cathedrals in front of thousands of spectators, and, finally, on to performances abroad.

My most memorable performance was Sir Michael Tippett's A Child of Our Time, which took place in the amazing surroundings of Peterborough Cathedral in 2001.

Jazz was another of my enthusiasms and I became a member of several quartets and a barbershop group. We regularly sang at both local events and local nursing homes where we serenaded the ladies (and gentlemen), while they drank tea and ate custard creams. The opportunities to perform developed and small jazz groups morphed into larger jazz bands with a much greater opportunity to perform.

Sadly, having left school at 18, I have not found as much time as I would have liked to continue singing, as there always seems to be something more immediately concerning to chase after – whether it be a degree and a self-made business at university, a member of the female sex or a promotion at work.

Having said that, last year I took part in and won Leeds's own variant of the X Factor, at Elland Road, The Crypt Factor – having returned for a second attempt after finding myself disqualified the year before. Apparently, having a couple of seductive Leeds Rhinos cheerleaders as my personal backing dancers was bending the rules – but they were

just jealous.