Cathedrals are planning to set up academy schools which they hope will increase interest in choral music.

Church leaders are in talks with government ministers to sponsor up to 40 city academies but no deals are imminent, a Church of England spokesman said.

The Church already acts as sponsor, or joint sponsor, for five academies and 20 more are planned. Nine possible schemes are under discussion and more are anticipated but the Church would not reveal the locations.

Lord Adonis, Minister for Schools and Learners, is due to meet representatives of the Roman Catholic Church tomorrow to discuss the possibility of music academies.

Bristol Cathedral School is likely to open the first academy in September, according to the MP Frank Field, chairman of Cathedral Fabrics Commission, who said that others preparing for an academy include Chester, Salisbury and Southwark in London.

Ben Wilson, a spokesman for the Church of England, said: “A number of cathedral schools are in discussions but none are at the stage of imminent announcement.

“Programmes like The Choir, which show an insight into the life of choristers and give a sense of the excellent musical heritage of this country, can only help the mission of cathedrals and their schools to bring choral music into a wider audience.”

The second series of The Choir opened on BBC Two on Friday. It follows Gareth Malone, of the London Symphony Orchestra, as he creates a choir from a boys’ school in Leicester to perform at the Royal Albert Hall.