Musician and rugby player Young Chorister finalist

Jack McCallum is one of three finalists in the 2025 BBC Young Chorister of the Year competition

A budding jazz piano musician and rugby player has reached the final of the BBC Young Chorister of the Year competition.

Jack McCallum, 15, from Eversholt, Bedfordshire, was a former chorister at King's College in Cambridge.

He said he was "the most nervous I've ever been" while competing in the semi-final at Halle St Peter's in Manchester.

He can also play the organ and trumpet, and said he was looking forward to watching the final on BBC One at 13:15 BST on Sunday.

Jack (second from the right) performed in the semi-final to Rev Canon Kate Bottley (left) and Aled Jones (right), along with Giaan, Madeleine, Al and Annie

"I do jazz piano, I play the organ and trumpet as well as singing", he told Andy Collins on BBC Three Counties Radio.

"At the moment, I'm doing everything, so I'm doing all my instruments and performing as much as I can.

"I'm not really sure which direction I'm going to go in the future, but I'm going to keep working at it. I'd like to start writing music, songwriting and composing."

The baritone, who also loves sport, and whose voice has broken, said he hoped his singing expertise would stand him in good stead for songwriting as he could showcase his talents by singing his compositions.

He said the hardest instrument he could play was the organ, as you have to use your feet and sometimes play four keyboards, he said.

"It's a lot to deal with," he added.

"People think it's just for church music, but modern stuff can sound amazing on there too."

Jack's parents, Dave and Karen, have supported their son over the years and have seen him perform many times

His mother, Karen McCallum, said the whole family is musical, as his father, Dave, plays the trumpet, she plays the cello, and their other son plays trombone.

"We're so very proud of him, he's a bit of a star, he does a lot of other music as well."

In the semi-final, he performed to the show's presenters, Aled Jones and the Rev Kate Bottley and also the judges, Gareth Malone, Michelle John and Harry Bradford.

The 2025 Senior Semi-Finalists at Halle St Peter's, Manchester: Annie, Jack, Madeleine, Al and Giaan

Jack attends Rugby School in Warwickshire, and its acting director of music, Rebecca Taylor, said it was "thrilled" with his success.

"He is a charismatic and versatile musician," she said before adding that he regularly sings as a baritone with the school's choristers and won the Intermediate Organ Competition in 2024 and 2025.

The judges in the semi-final were Michelle John, Harry Bradford, Gareth Malone