When I was 14, I was still playing conkers and learning how to write without sticking my tongue out.

Matthew Crane is the champion of BBC talent show Let Me Entertain You, sang at the Royal Albert Hall, performed personally and by request for opera star Katherine Jenkins, duetted with G4 and won the Adult Open Opera Solo class of the Medway Festival of Music Speech and Drama.

Even the legendary Decca Records have been on the blower wanting a piece of him.

Hot property indeed, and Matthew will be taking the stage at Fairfield Halls this week for their Classic Christmas special show. For Matthew this makes a refreshing change as he often performs classics such as Nessum Dorma, Ave Maria and Be My Love.

"It's really nice as everyone's in the Christmas spirit," he says, "the audience seems to enjoy it more and the songs get people into the mood.

"I think my favourites are O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night and Away In A Manger."

Matthew describes the incredible feeling of being applauded by a large crowd as the most affecting part of his fledgling career, although he has gained some famous fans as well along the way.

Jordan and Peter Andr for starters, plus Katherine Jenkins, who singled him out during a school choir performance and asked that he sing for her, and music guru Jools Holland.

Matthew sent him a demo of his singing and Holland - who lives very close to Matthew down in Kent - wrote back to say what a remarkable talent he had.

But what do Matthew's school friends make of it all? "They're very proud, they ask where I've been and what I've been doing. Some of them get jealous but it doesn't matter, I only talk to the ones who are interested in it."

One thing Matthew cannot escape is the relentless march of adulthood, and that means the all-important singing voice will not be staying the same.

Here's his mother, Shirley-Anne, on the matter: "His voice has changed a lot in the last six months.

"It's broken twice so he was a high tenor, then he became a tenor and now he's a baritone." The only baritone in the country of his age, no less.

And the ultimate aim? "I want to be famous in the UK and sing at the 2012 Olympics, and get a degree at the Royal Academy of Music."

Big ambitions maybe, but the rate he is going, he might just do it.

Matthew Crane; Fairfield Halls (Concert Hall), Park Lane, Croydon, CR ; Saturday, December 16, 7.30pm; £15, £17, children £7; call or see fairfield.co.uk.