IT was Cameron Woodhouse’s kindergarten teacher who first suggested to his surprised family that their son had a truly remarkable voice, and a singing career was a definite option.

Up until then, all they knew was he sounded good in the shower. Now aged 10, Cameron auditioned yesterday for one of only two soprano spots in the Anzac International Military Tattoo, to be performed at Sydney SuperDome in April.

There was no history of singers, dancers, artists or performers in the Woodhouse family, who come from the working-class suburb of Ashfield in Sydney’s inner west.

Cameron was not one of the lucky two selected yesterday to perform a solo at the tattoo, but he was short-listed to be one of theunderstudies.

Winner Robert Adams, 12, has already performed in Opera Australia’s La Boheme and Tosca and is currently in The Magic Flute. He has an agent and was described by the tattoo’s organisers as having “an absolutely beautiful, phenomenal voice”.

The other winner was Dion Condack, 12, from the Newtown High School of Performing Arts, whose performance was described as “pure and stunning, unbelievable”.

Choirmaster for the military tattoo, Steven Watson, said the days when boys risked being bashed in the schoolyard if they sang in a high voice or even in a choir were long gone. “Now their talents are being recognised, supported and encouraged,” he said.

Cameron’s choirmaster at St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Ross Cobb, said Cameron could hit some of the highest notes and had thegreatest voice range of any boy he had taught.

Cameron, who wants to be an opera singer, said he had always loved singing.

“It brings so much passion into your life. You enjoy it, you just love it. Words can’t explain it, it’s just so good,” he said.

His mother, Debbie Woodhouse-Hill, said her son had “come out of the womb singing”. “He has always loved it,” she said. “He sings because it’s in him.”

One of yesterday’s judges and co-producer of the tattoo, Elyse Jewell, said there had been a high standard among the boys.

“With some of these boys you just go `Wow, this is a star in the making’,” she said. “They really do have remarkable voices.

“It’s so rare to hear a boy with a strong, pure soprano voice who also has enough confidence to stand up before 12,000 people a night. For a boy soprano it’s a fleeting moment. A pure soprano voice sends shivers up your spine. There’s really nothing like it in the whole world of music.”