THE life of an 'influential and inspirational' professional singer and teacher is to be celebrated at a special event this weekend.

Peter Franklin passed away in October, but he will be remembered at a service at St Joseph's Church in Wool on Saturday. The celebration begins at 3pm and is expected to last around an hour. Tea and cake will be served to round off the proceedings.

Friend John Wayman said: "This was a man who influenced and inspired a huge number of people across the county during his long and interesting life.

"For many years, Peter sang professionally, alongside his day job as an Environmental Health Officer, across the South of England and the Midlands. He took early retirement from the day job and the music increased. When he became a singing teacher within the Music department at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, it was then that his influence really began to be felt.

"Peter’s friendly, relaxed teaching style, coupled with an outstanding ability to get the best out of young people, enabled many of Thomas Hardye’s students to find the singing voice they never realised they had. Many of them have since either taken up a career in music or gone on to sing with choirs around the country."

Mr Franklin's family have organised the memorial event as a tribute to his ability and charisma, and the service will look at his life and include performances from some of the students who benefitted so much from his teaching.

His funeral was held at St Joseph's and his family look forward to sharing more memories of the much-loved and respected singer.

Any of Peter’s former students, friends and associates are cordially invited to attend to celebrate the life of this inspirational man.