[ACNS] God told Isaiah to “raise your voice like a trumpet” – it is an instruction that many clergy seek to follow; but one English vicar will take this a step further when he appears on the British version of television’s singing competition The Voice tomorrow night (Saturday).

The Revd John Barron, Vicar for High Spen and Rowland Gill in the north-east England town of Gateshead, will sing “This is the Moment” from the musical Jekyll and Hyde when he appears on the new season opener of the prime time BBC One programme.

“John is a keen singer who uses his musical talents to great effect both in his role as a Vicar in Church but also in support of a number of Charitable community and fundraising activities around the North East and wider afield,” a spokesman for the Diocese of Durham said.

“I have always enjoyed singing and it has something that has been with me long before I was ordained into the Church of England,” John Barron said. “Last year I sang in a memorial concert for a much-loved church member with a local community singing group the Gibside Singers raising money for Mothers’ Union Prison projects.”

His singing has raised money for a number of charitable projects, including a gala evening last year singing musical theatre with his eldest daughter to raise money to replace a church heating system.

He continued: “As well as singing hymns in church each Sunday, I enjoy singing musical theatre, classical, folk & opera. I enjoy listening to a variety of music – I’m open to singing all genres.

“I very much see singing as a way to further the work I do in the Church, reaching out to people in the community – which is core to our aim to grow the engagement of the church. This is part of what we do in the church – trying our best to use what God has given us to be a blessing to our communities.”