TALENTED student Owain Bennett was spoilt for choice when it came to selecting a career.

In addition to being an excellent scientist - he gained a first-class degree in physics - the 22-year-old is also an accomplished tenor.

He was faced with the dilemma of continuing a promising academic career or building on years of musical experience.

Music won the day and Owain, of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, has now signed up for an HND in music production at Newcastle College.

He attended St Aidan's High School, in Harrogate, and was a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain before he studied at Newcastle University.

On arriving in the North-East he joined up with some former friends from the choir and formed Northern Spirit Singers, which consists of students from both Newcastle and Durham universities.

One of the highlights of their performances was accompanying soprano Lesley Garrett at Newcastle City Hall earlier this year. She thought they were so good she has invited them to join her again at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall in November.

Owain, who graduated from Newcastle University yesterday, said: "It was a difficult decision to make about my future, because I did enjoy studying for my degree and I'm very interested in physics and science in general.

"But there are a lot of similarities between physics and music production, particularly with the technical side of things, which I will be studying as part of the HND.

"I would like to get a music technology-related job at the end of the course."