Just a few months ago a group of teenagers from a Shropshire school were thinking ahead to exams and university.But now their thoughts are turning to singing success after they made it to the final 60 of the BBC’s new Saturday night show Last Choir Standing.

Tthe Common Room Choir – made up of 16 pupils from Adams’ Grammar School in Newport – which only formed in January, is also through to the National Festival of Music for Youth in Birmingham on Tuesday.

A BBC crew was at their school on Wednesday and at the Gaston Payne School of Dance for more filming to be broadcast for the new prime-time programme to be shown this weekend.

Tim Cunningham, 18, of Shifnal, musical director, said the friends had decided to get-together to have fun with music.

“We only decided to enter three days before the deadline. We managed to get together an audition video. We were invited to an audition stage at Cadogen Hall in London for 60 choirs, which is on the first show,” he said.

The choir performed three songs in front of judges – opera superstar Russell Watson, actress, singer and West End star Sharon D Clarke and choral conductor and director Suzi Digby in May.

Michael Barratt, deputy head, said: “We are all terribly proud of Tim and the way he has seized the initiative.”