THE closest most 12-year-old girls – or indeed any of us – get to the stage at the o2 Arena is when we're bopping away in the 40 th row at a Rihanna or JLS concert.

But the dreams of Fulham Cross School girl Dounia Pajoheshfar were well and truly realised last week when she performed a sell-out concert there and earned rave reviews for her stunning voice.

Dounia was joined on stage by 4,999 other kids who backed her, and several other child soloists, in a giant choir as part of the Voice In A Million project which, to raise awareness for the 4,000 children in the UK in need of adoption, aims to get a million young voices recorded in harmony at a series of concerts around the world this year.

Adopted celebrities, including TV presenter Nicky Campbell, musician and Simon Cowell's ex Sinitta and radio DJ James O'Brien, spoke movingly between songs about their childhood experiences.

Unsurprisingly, Dounia, who sang the classic songs Happy Days and Because You Loved Me, was bowled over by the occasion and described the emotional roller-coaster she experienced in the hours leading up to her performance.

"When I first got there for rehearsals and saw the size of the arena, I could hardly speak," she said. "The people at the top looked like ants and there were all these cameras in front of me, I felt really nervous at first.

"But then I just felt privileged and realised I had always wanted to stand on a big stage and just became really excited.

"I felt amazing during and after my songs. It was definitely the best experience of my life."

But, despite her excitement at performing, Dounia's main motivation for taking part was for the cause, and she revealed were she ever to make it as a singer, it wouldn't be at the expense of a career doing charitable work.

"Definitely not," she said. "I have always wanted to help other people. My mum is Moroccan, and when we go there you see lots of children without shelter and living in poverty.

"If ever I were to sing I'd only sing songs with meaning."

Ben Williams, or concert organisers Classic Media Group, was full of praise for Dounia, saying: "She is adorable and her voice is brilliant. She sang beautifully."