Aled Jones's 'joy and nerves' as wedding celebrant

"Life takes you down strange paths sometimes," says singer, broadcaster and celebrant Aled Jones

"I was more nervous than the bride," says singer and presenter Aled Jones about performing his first wedding as a celebrant.

Decades after he shot to stardom as a choirboy singing Walking in the Air and going on to record more than 40 albums selling millions of copies, the Welshman is now qualified to conduct weddings, christenings and funerals.

He said he was inspired to train after learning his songs are among the most requested at funerals.

"It really moved me," he told Lucy Owen on BBC Radio Wales.

The UK Society of Celebrants describes the role as someone "who performs and officiates formal wedding ceremonies" and can also conduct others, such as vow renewals, baby naming, commitments and divorce ceremonies.

"I was told during filming session for Songs of Praise that my version of You Raise Me Up is the most requested piece in British crematoriums," said the singer.

"I couldn't quite believe that people choose my voice for something that's just so important. And so I sort of felt like I should learn how to do it, to learn more about it.

"So I learned more about funerals first, and then the weddings and the christenings and everything came afterwards."

The 53-year-old from Llandegfan, Anglesey, has not performed any funerals yet, but conducting his first weddings was "joyous" and nerve-wracking.

"It was awful, honestly, I had the shakes. I'm used to singing in front of thousands of people, but standing there, I think there was only about 26 people there, and you know, all eyes were on me, until the bride arrived, thank goodness, and then I just did my bit."

A CD of music sung by young Aled prompted an unusual series of duets

One couple even enjoyed a performance from Aled at their ceremony.

"I've done a couple of weddings and they've been such joyous occasions."

But he has not given up the day job. He is travelling all over the UK from September with his Full Circle tour, performing tracks from his One Voice albums, where he duets with recordings of himself singing when he was a choirboy.

The idea for the albums came about by chance.

"I was back in north Wales having dinner with mum and dad, and dad casually said 'hey, there's an old album of yours in the airing cupboard'.

"There was an old tape there that had been given to us when my voice broke, which had never been recorded. It had been there for 25 years.

'It was just so weird'

"I took it back to London and just chucked in a drawer and then, sort of three or four years later, I thought, you know what, I'll have a listen to it.

"I was in the car after a gig with my musical director and played it and started singing along with little Aled, and it was just so weird.

"We went into the studio with our first album, not knowing what would happen and it was my best-selling album ever, I think, you know, number three in the pop charts and all that kind of business.

"But there are no more in the airing cupboard so, you know, there won't be any more One Voice albums."

After decades singing, presenting and writing, Aled admits his new career path as a celebrant is rather unexpected.

"It's mad, isn't it? Life takes you down strange paths sometimes."