Rising star Olivia set to take to the stage at Symphony at the Tower

A soprano from Catterall who was crowned Young Singer of the Guild at the last Preston Guild will step out on stage at Hoghton Tower this Saturday.

Olivia Singleton will perform at the second night of the flagship fundraising event Symphony at The Tower in aid of St Catherine’s Hospice. The talented teenager will be accompanied on piano by her singing teacher Carrie Steingold.

The weekend of live music, which is extra special in 2015 as St Catherine’s celebrates its 30th anniversary, kicks off with legendary rockers Status Quo on the Friday night.

Olivia will follow on the Saturday evening, ahead of performances from Britain’s Got Talent runner-up Lucy Kay and male classical cross-over group Blake, accompanied by the Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra.

The 17-year-old, who specialises in classical music covering a range of operatic arias as well as German lieder, musical theatre, jazz and contemporary music, said she is delighted to be part of this fantastic weekend and showing her support for such a great cause.

She has just completed her A-levels in music, performance studies and music virtuoso at Runshaw College, said: “I know from personal experience how important the work St Catherine’s does is and how much they depend on people’s support. I’m really pleased to be able to use my voice to give something back.”

Olivia added: “My family and I came to the Saturday night Symphony show last year and it was a wonderful night. The music, the picnics, the fireworks - it all comes together and makes for such a good time. Now I’m so excited that I’ll be performing as part of it!”

She has also performed regular recitals at thre Gibbon Bridge Hotel at Chipping to raise funds for causes including bone cancer research and the Skeletal Cancer Action Trust.

The accomplished performer is a regular singer for St James church at Whitechapel where she sings atw eddings and church events.

As a member of the local drama group Whitechapel Players she performed a selection of war time favourites at two recent World War 1 memorial evenings in a role as a wartime sweetheart.

The Symphony show will see Olivia performing beforre her biggest crowd yet, following award-winning performances at the prestigious Fleetwood Music and Arts Festival, where she scooped the Charlotte Dawson Trophy for the most outstanding performance, the Raymond Heggie Trophy for the highest mark in vocal class, and walked away with the highest achievement of the day, the Junior Rose Bowl.

Olivia, was first inspired to sing at the age of 11 after watching a school concert featuring her older sister Emily on the saxophone. She said: “Ever since then, all I’ve wanted to do was sing. The Guild competition was an amazing experience which also led onto performances at the Instrumentalist of the Guild final and the Tourism Awards, which were fantastic. Now I’m looking forward to adding Symphony at the Tower to the list of highlights.”

Olivia, who also sings with her college’s jazz and folk bands and is regular performer at weddings and events at the Ferraris Country House Hotel, near Longridge, added: “I love performing live on stage - interacting with the audience, giving things my own personal stamp, and seeing the reaction from people in the crowd.”

Lorraine Charlesworth, Director of Income Generation at St Catherine’s Hospice, said: “We’re delighted to have Olivia on the bill as part of our 30th anniversary Symphony at the Tower event, which we’re sure 
will be our biggest and best yet.

“Over the past 30 years St Catherine’s has all been about people – from every doctor, nurse and volunteer to each supporter who makes our work possible. Symphony at the Tower is a brilliant opportunity to bring all these people together for a wonderful celebration in the name of a great cause.”

Olivia is now planning a gap year to focus on her diploma in music, performance, techniques and repertoire tutored by Carrie Steingold and hopes to attend music college to study music and performance.

Meanwhile, the Friday night concert will see the hospice attempt to complete one of its targets in the 30th anniversary Give A Gift campaign with our sister publication the Lancashire Evening Post. Inspired by the fact Status Quo are on the bill, one of the ‘gifts’ on the list asks for 3,000 Air Guitar Heroes – a social media campaign whereby supporters are filmed giving it all they’ve got on the air guitar, before making a 
donation to St Catherine’s and nominating others to do the same.

The #AirGuitarChallenge campaign has already reached more than 50,000 people on Facebook and Twitter, and the charity hopes a group rock out on the air guitar with the Symphony crowd will help it spread even further.

Tickets for Symphony at the Tower – including weekend tickets and VIP packages – are available via www.stcatherines.co.uk. Picnics are welcome on Saturday night, although food and drink can’t be brought into the venue on Friday. To donate £3 towards the Air Guitar Challenge text Hospice Guitar to 70444.