COMPOSER and broadcaster Howard Goodall, who is to head the Government's £10m package of measures to boost singing in schools, is a former head boy at Lord Williams's School in Thame.

He has been named as the new "singing ambassador" to front the scheme.

The aim is to build children's confidence, teamwork and language skills.

Mr Goodall said: "For me, singing is every child's first, intuitive access to the world of music and is also a powerful and often untapped resource for social cohesion.

"There is barely an adult alive who does not wish they could sing with more confidence or that they had had a better start with their voices as children.

"The new campaign addresses those aspirations at the grass roots - in every primary school in the country."

Mr Goodall, who was born in Bromley in 1958, was brought up in Thame where his father Geoff Goodall was principal of Lord Williams's and where his mother Marion was a member of the town council.

He was a chorister at New College and graduated from Christ Church with a First in music, alongside writer Richard Curtis.

He worked with Mr Curtis and Rowan Atkinson on television series like Mr Bean, Blackadder and The Vicar of Dibley.

He is married to classical music agent Val Fancourt.

His music for the theatre and for television has been played around the world. He is also a noted presenter of music programmes on television.