Cardinal Vaughan pupil Malakai shines on Britain's Got Talent

The fantastic talents of Vaughan pupil Malakai Bayoh were on show this weekend on ITV1’s Britain’s Got Talent – and rewarded with a ‘Golden Buzzer’ from lead judge Simon Cowell, putting him straight through to the live shows at the end of next month.

Malakai featured in the second auditions show, broadcast on ITV1 on Sunday (16 April). Malakai, a member of the Vaughan’s Schola Cantorum, performed Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s arrangement of Pie Jesu.

Previously, Malakai has performed at the world-famous venues including the Royal Opera House and Royal Albert Hall. Last Christmas he also performed two tracks for Classic FM with presenter & singer Aled Jones which have had 25 million interactions online.

Malakai Bayoh says: “I love singing at school and it was good fun auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent. All the team were really kind and Ant and Dec were funny. Thank you everyone at school for all your support.”

Paul Stubbings, Headmaster, Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, adds: “We’re tremendously proud of Malakai’s talent, work ethic and dedication. Everyone in the Vaughan community is willing him on and we look forward greatly to seeing how his musical career develops from here.”  

Scott Price, Director of Music at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, adds: “Malakai is a dedicated member of the Schola Cantorum, rehearsing diligently every day of the school term. He has a passion for Opera and a natural talent, both in singing and dramatizing his performances. As he has demonstrated a number of times already, he is comfortable performing on the biggest stages. We wish him all the best in the live shows.”

Notes to Editors

About Cardinal Vaughan’s Schola Cantorum

The Schola Cantorum is the liturgical choir of The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, Kensington. Its principal duty is that of serving the liturgy of the school and the Schola sings each week at the Wednesday morning school Mass.

The Schola also has frequent external engagements and is heard in concert halls and churches all across the UK and further afield. Locations the choir has sung recently include Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Snape Maltings, Winchester Cathedral, Ely Cathedral,  York Minster, King’s College and St John’s College, Cambridge,  New College, Oxford, St John’s, Smith Square, Cadogan Hall, The Royal Festival Hall and The Royal Albert Hall.

Annual tours take place, with destinations in the past few years including Soweto and Cape Town, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee, New York, Washington, Venice, Paris, Lisbon, Rome, Salamanca, Madrid, Leipzig, Dresden, Krakow, Assisi and Barcelona.