Once we'd welcomed the two adjudicators, Richard Sisson and Tim Sutton, David Lawrence blew away the early morning cobwebs with a warm-up. The first choirs were Great and Little Shelford Church of England Primary School Choir who kicked the morning off beautifully with Abeeyo, a traditional African chant and were followed by West Leigh Junior School Chamber Choir whose programme included two songs, The Little Spanish Town and Rumba, by Peter Jenkyns and St Hugh's Catholic Primary School Choir. (you can see their full programmes by clicking here) The youngest competitors of the day, Caister-on-Sea First and Nursery School Choir charmed everybody and the morning finished with The John Fisher School Boys Choir, who nearly didn't make it having been held up on the M11 by a slow moving aeroplane which was, we presume, on its way to Duxford Air Museum rather than Stanstead.

The judges announced that they had Highly Commended Great and Little Shelford Church of England Primary School Choir, and that the Children's Choir of the Day was St Hugh's Catholic Primary School Choir.

A quick turnaround followed, as the Youth Choirs had already started to turn up for Session 2.

Voices - the City of Derby Girls Choir opened up the proceedings in the Youth Choir Category followed by the second choir from The John Fisher School, this time the school's Chapel Choir Chamber Group. After their performance the choir walked off stage, past their seats and straight onto their bus, off home to prepare for a 4am start the next morning on a choir trip to Italy. I have instructed my financial adviser to buy shares in any coach companies in and around the Purley or Sutton area.

St Bonaventure's School Choir, fresh from an appearance on the pitch at West Ham United finished their set with their arrangement of I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles which brought a tear to the eye of all the Hammers fans in the venue. Perhaps that's just me then. (for a full programme from session 2 click here) Wyre Forest Young Voices from Kidderminster and Oakham School Chamber Choir rounded off the Youth Choir category.

Unusually the judges named two choirs 'Choirs of the Day' - St Bonaventure's School Choir and Oakham School Chamber Choir as well as Highly Commending Wyre Forest Young Voices. All agreed that this had been a really good session, and a very high standard was achieved all round.

There was still no respite for the team, as Session 3 was only 45 minutes away and 80 singers, ranging in age from 20 to 60, dressed as punks, singing African folk songs needed looking after. In my 6 years with Choir of the Year, I've never seen anything like The Choir Invisible, but despite Sally Brown's protestations that they were all really nervous, they took to the stage like ducks to water. A hard act to follow, but follow it Phoenix did with a great rendition of Barbershop singing. With those two choirs done we moved into the Adult category (the full programme for Session 3 is available by clicking here). Fiorosa, Chantage, The Grand Central Chorus and Livewire Opera Company finished off a great day's singing, and in the final judging session Tim and Richard decided that both The Choir Invisible and Phoenix should go forward to the National Selection Stage in the Open Category and that Chantage should proceed in the Adult Category.

A great day, although Midland Mainline's lack of a trolley service on the way home meant that I'll be asking John Fisher for more details of the M11 Flyer the next time we come to Cambridge.

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