A SCHOOLBOY has been given a musical break after he was drafted in to cover for a singer who had a break of his own -- in his vocal cords.

Phillip Rowbottom won the part in Turn of the Screw at the last minute after the original actor's voice broke.

The 12-year-old, from Lodgeside, Clayton-le Moors, plays a boy overtaken by an evil valet in the operatic ghost story written by Benjamin Britten.

Last night he completed the third of four performances in the opera staged by post graduate students at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music. The final performance will be on Thursday night.

The college has produced opera singers with worldwide reputations including renowned Accrington bass John Tomlinson, Earby-born John Rawnsley and Keith Latham, from Padiham.

Phillip, a pupil at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, is a regular with Blackburn Cathedral choir. He won the part after QEGS fourth year pupil James Holding pulled out because of the change in his voice.

Director Stefan Janski went to the school to audition Phillip and was bowled over by his treble voice.

Phillip said he was delighted to be given the opportunity as this was his first role out of school and amateur productions and he feels honoured to be stepping into James' shoes.

"I was really nervous before the first production, but afterwards I had a grin from ear to ear. This is my moment, my first big break. It was really bad luck for James, but I feel really proud to be taking over from a singer who I always thought was much better than me.

"My friends have been great about it and a few have been out to see me, they think it's especially cool that I get paid for it."

His proud mum Penny said: "He's not done anything like this before. He's done really really well and everyone at the college has been so lovely with him. They are all 25-plus and they have treated him as a grown-up and he's risen to it. He loves it."

The youngster, who also plays trumpet and cornet, now has his sights set on a place at the prestigious college and in the meantime he is spending his wages from the production on a half share of a trumpet, with his parents contributing the other half. But his love of music is not restricted to classical.

"If he practises the trumpet, we are going to buy his half as well because he wants to buy a Fender electric guitar and amp," said Penny.

"He really fancies being in a band like Blink 182. Being a choirboy is fun but he wants the loud stuff as well," she added.

Phillip's dad John has been with him to rehearsals, which began in October, and to performances.

He said: "I'm very proud of him. He's had the best voice coach in the country. He's on quite a bit of the time. He's done very well.

"When the original lad's voice went we didn't sort things out until well into October. The lad had started learning it over the summer holidays and by the time they were over his voice was beginning to break.

"The music is quite complex and they had to train him to act as well." Mr Janski said: "He's brilliant. It's a psychological drama with tremendous concentration. The intensity demands tremendous eye contact and use of subtle gestures and facial expressions and body language.

"We have seen him mature and grow -- I'm so proud of the way he's developed and fit in to a very adult story."

A spokesman for QEGS said: "It's a great opportunity. To get something like that at that age is superb. He handles it well because he's a level-headed lad."