Primary six and seven pupils from Our Lady of the Missions (OLM) Primary School in East Renfrewshire will sing in the pre-event leading up to the Papal Mass in Bellahouston Park on September 16. Scots singer Michelle McManus and Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle have already been confirmed to sing at the event.

Around 40 youngsters from the Thornliebank Catholic primary will take to the stage at about 3pm before Pope Benedict XVI addresses the public in a Mass at around 5.30pm. It is the first Papal visit since 1982 when Pope John Paul II held Mass at the same venue, and up to 100,000 people are expected to attend.

Choir leader and teacher Wendy Collins said she hopes the other performers at the event will enjoy the choir’s rendition of the Ninian Cantata. She said: ‘Our group will certainly enjoy the popular performances by Michelle McManus and Susan Boyle, so I hope they in return listen to ours and enjoy it. The Papal visit is on the feast of St Ninian – September 16 – so I hope everyone enjoys the children telling the story of St Ninian through song.’

Mrs Collins believes the nine and 10-year-olds may be the youngest performers there. She said: ‘I think the children are all a bit nervous as it’s such a massive event, but we are confident. It’s inspiring and wonderful to be involved: a real learning curve.’

The choir was asked to sing for the Pope following a performance at the Children’s Cantata at St Mungo’s Church in Glasgow in May which was seen by senior church officials. Head teacher Charlie Jamieson said the school was ‘honoured and delighted’ to be involved with the Papal visit.

He added: ‘We have a good tradition of music in the school and we have a lot of talented youngsters. It’s a bit daunting, but I am sure the children will do very well. I went to the park in 1982 for Pope John Paul, but these children were not even born then so it is really exciting for them.’

Paul Cameron, 10, from Giffnock, will sing a solo part of the song. He said: ‘We are nervous and excited at the same time. My parents are really happy for me to be doing it. I’ve got a lead part and have to sing by myself so I’m practising a lot.’

Meanwhile, fourth year pupils from Taylor High School in Motherwell will perform a hymn they have written at the Papal Mass. A video of the group of 14 students and one teacher performing their hymn, Faith, will be also played on screens around the park on the day and may be used at other venues during the Pope’s visit to Britain.

Pope Benedict will embark on the first official papal visit to England and Scotland in a few weeks, and organizers have released a list of what is allowed and not allowed at the large-scale gatherings in London and Birmingham. The Guardian, the BBC, the Associated Press and Reuters report the list forbids candles,  alcohol, barbecues, pets, musical instruments, including vuvuzelas and bulky hampers, because such items could “pose a threat to others.” Folding chairs, cushions, banners and flags are OK, however.

Catholic News Agency reports that Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle will perform for the pope during his visit.

With Christopher Hitchens ailing, presumably the atheist-proposed plan to try to arrest the pontiff during the visit, for “international crimes against humanity” related to the Catholic Church’s clergy sex abuse crisis, has been aborted. But Reuters reports that various protests are expected, “including by secularists critical of the trip’s cost, gay rights groups and those angry at the child-abuse scandal which has spread throughout the Roman Catholic church globally.

Unlike the glamorous dolls like Lady Gaga or Britney or a Miley, Susan (an elderly lady pushing 50) is serenely quiet and maintains a low profile. Hence, her legions of fans don’t often get to hear of her with the regularity of an Angelina or a Pattinson.

Yet, come Christmas and you shall be bewitched by the mesmerising spell cast from the wands of this Scotland special as the lovely Susan braces herself to invade your house through your TV sets.

Susan is all set to star in the Christmas special episode of the hit US TV sitcom ‘Glee’ and, reportedly, shall step into the robes of a dinner lady in the school.

Besides, some hit singles of the iconic Paul McCartney shall also be resurrected. In fact, the brain behind the show Ryan Murphy gleefully beams, “I received some fantastic mixed tapes from Paul McCartney a couple of weeks ago. I thought I was being punked! It came out of the blue in a package, handwritten, and it had two CDs and it said ‘Hi Ryan, I hope you will consider some of these songs for ‘Glee’. I had heard that he is a fan of the show. I was gob-smacked… so of course we are going to do something with him.”

With Susan and Paul on your plate, a turkey would be just an icing on the cake……..

Murphy confirmed the details at Fox’s Television Critics Association presentation on Monday, August 2. “Susan is on the same label as us. I guess she’s a fan of the show,” he said. “She’s coming out with a Christmas album, so the story I want to do for our Christmas episode is have Kurt give her some sort of fantastic makeover and have her sing a song from her album on the show. She’ll be playing a character.”

On another note, Murphy confirmed that she would not sing “I Dreamed a Dream” which catapulted Boyle to success. “We did that song already. I don’t think I’ll give her monologues and arias, but she’s a character and I love what she represents. I think what she represents is what the show represents. I’ll ask her, ‘What are you comfortable doing?’,” Murphy said.

Beside Boyle, fans can also expect a Paul McCartney episode. The Beatle will not appear in an episode but his music will. “I received some fantastic mixed tapes from Paul McCartney a couple of weeks ago. I thought I was being punked!,” Murphy gushed.

“It came out of blue in a package, handwritten, and it had two CDs and it said ‘Hi Ryan, I hope you will consider some of these songs for ‘Glee’ ..I had heard that he is a fan of the show. I was gob-smacked … so of course we are going to do something with him.”

“Glee” returns September 21 on Fox. Murphy said the sophomore season will focus on minor characters such as Tina, Kurt’s father, and Brittany.

Fran DeFeo, a spokeswoman for Columbia would only confirm that Boyle “is recording a new album to come out later this year,” but would not give any further details on the nature of the album. It’s probable the album corresponds with Boyle’s recently announced “Susan’s Search,” which gave her fans the chance to sign on the follow-up album to her chart-topping I Dreamed a Dream.

Thousands of interested parties entered the contest by uploading a video of themselves singing “Silent Night” (aha, a Christmas song!) to Boyle’s YouTube page. The competition has since closed, and a winner will be announced on Aug. 2, with a prize of recording a duet with Boyle that will appear on her next album.

Industry experts predict a holiday album from Boyle will be a big seller in the U.S., with one merchant saying Boyle’s disc will be “the must-have record” for the gift-giving season.

Get a chance to sing with Susan Boyle by joining her singing competition. The winning participant can get the chance of a lifetime to sing with Susan in her upcoming album!

Ms Boyle, who shot to international fame following her participation in the television talent search Britain’s Got Talent, has credited her Catholic Faith for helping her with life’s trials, including in coming to terms with the death of her mother.

Scottish acts have done well on Britain’s Got Talent with Susan Boyle enjoying phenomenal success and Janey Cutler winning fans across the world after her performance on this year’s show.

Stevie Starr, akaThe Regurgitator was also a popular act this year and although he didn’t make it into the final, the Glaswegian’s stomach churning performance did win him a legion of fans, fascinated by his ability to regurgitate large objects. Now Stevie has come under fire after he angered families at a children’s gala day in Kelty Fife.

Starr was paid £1000 to perform at the popular event but his swallowing of goldfish wasn’t the only thing churning audience members stomachs. According to The Sun, Stevie launched into a series of X rated jokes about sex acts during his performance.

One parent who was at the gala with his two year old daughter and four year old son told the paper: “I was there with my two young children and had to walk away after several minutes due to his disgusting language and jokes. “He even had a young boy of about nine from the audience helping him when he was telling the jokes.”

Starr’s manager Mike Malley defended his act and accused parents of over-reacting. He told The Sun: “Some people complain for the sake of complaining. I would imagine he said words like s*** and bloody because he does when he’s swallowing goldfish. But you’ll never hear him say the F Word.”

The organisers of the gala have not yet commented on the matter.

A source told Heat World: “They are just trying to work it all out at the moment. The idea is that he will be a substitute teacher and join the Glee club for one week.”

Justin is the latest star set to join the hit series after it was reported that Little Britain star Matt Lucas will play the part of an English teacher.

Scotland’s very won Susan Boyle could also be Glee club bound after Glee star Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester) admitted the cast and crew are also “desperate” to sign her up as a dinner lady.

Jane told Heat: “Susan is really popular with all of us.

 “I heard Ryan Murphy [the show’s creator] say he’d love to get her on set playing a dinner lady, so let’s hope.”

Who would you like to see appear on the show? Do you think Su-Bo should do it? Use our comment system to tell us.

“We can confirm a hoax email was sent to newsrooms saying she was going to perform concert dates in Australia and New Zealand. We can categorically deny Susan was ­scheduled to play any dates in either of these two ­countries.”

Susan has also been the headlines lately following reports that she will most likely sing for the Pope during his visit to Scotland during the fall.