A YOUNG singer has won a national chorister of the year competition after spending the past six years performing around Europe.

Chichester Cathedral has announced that former head chorister Raphael “Rafi” Bellamy Plaice, has won the boys’ section of the BBC Radio 2 Young Choristers of the Year competition.

Thirteen-year-old Rafi, who lives in Brighton, was head chorister of Chichester Cathedral Choir until July of this year after joining in 2011.

He said: “When I joined Chichester Cathedral Choir at age seven I never would have believed one day this would be happening.”

Rafi made it through two rigorous preliminary rounds before performing in front of an expert panel of judges at the BBC Philharmonic Studios in Salford, broadcast in a special programme on Radio 2 on Wednesday.

The eight finalists were judged on vocal quality, technical skill and performance.

Rafi’s talent was developed through musical training at the cathedral alongside his education at The Prebendal School in Chichester.

Following his six years as a chorister, during which time he toured Germany, France and the Netherlands, Rafi took up a music scholarship at Lancing College, where he now sings in the choir.

His favourite composers are Mozart, Purcell and Gibbons. His other passions include Lego, studying Egyptology and the works of JRR Tolkien.

The Dean of Chichester, the Very Reverend Stephen Waine, who is also chairman of governors at The Prebendal School, said: “We are all very proud of Rafi, who made a huge contribution both to the choir and Prebendal School.

“To win this award is an enormous achievement and our congratulations go to Rafi and all who supported him on the way to winning this important national award.”

Head of The Prebendal School Louise Salmond Smith said: “We are all so thrilled for Rafi as this is a very tough competition that has a first-class reputation around the world for producing musicians of the highest standard.

“We wish Rafi all the best for the future and we will be following his progress closely.”