01/05/12……Local youth to shine at Music in the Park

AS well as all the better-known musicians who will be performing at this year’s Thame Music In The Park, the organisers are particularly delighted that so many of the young performers are drawn from the local area.

Michele Pethers of Crash Records, who was been coordinating the musical programme, commented: ?Yes, we have established bands who have played Glastonbury, but we?re also committed to giving local performers a great platform to showcase their talent, on a brilliant stage, and to a large audience.?

The line-up includes young local pop punk band the Drakes, who write and perform all their own material; Empire, a teenage band from Lord Williams?s School and winners of Thame?s Got Talent; Thame band Hell?s Gazelles, performing with the raw power of AC/DC meets Black Sabbath; 14-year-old Sam Hunn, a singer/songwriter and Lewis Branch, another winner of Thame?s got Talent, who wowed the beer tent last year.

Sam Hoare, 17-year-old singer songwriter, will be performing a set entirely of her own songs, as will Abbie Broom and Tori.

Then of course there’s Little Bill?s Big Band, made up of 13 students from Lord Williams?s School between the ages of 14 – 17, playing Congas, drumkit, sax, flute, keyboards and vocals, performing a set of Blues Brothers? classics along with recent chart hits.

Photography competition

If music isn?t your thing, you can still express your creativity through the festival?s photography competition: ‘Park Life’. Simply take some photos at Music in the Park and enter your best ones into the competition. Official festival photographer, Rob Wheal, will judge the competition and the winner will receive a pair of tickets to next year?s event. A selection of the photos will also appear on the website.

Rules for entry can be found in the festival programme and on the website: www.musicinthepark.org.uk/elms.php and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MusicInTheParkThame).