SCHOOLGIRL singing sensation Courtney Hadwin has been added to the line-up for this weekend’s final Sunday Concert in South Shields.
The 12-year-old will take to the stage at Bents Park on Sunday, 30 July, in the last of this year’s South Tyneside Festival’s free open-air concerts.
Courtney, of Hesledon, County Durham, shot to fame earlier this month when she reached the final of ITV talent show The Voice Kids.
The youngster impressed judges with her rendition of Tina Turner’s Nutbush City Limits in the first blind audition, and made it all the way to the final, where she just missed out on the top prize with her rendition of Jennifer Hudson’s And I’m Telling You.
After appearing on TVs across the nation since last month, she is now gearing up to step out in front of a crowd of around 20,000 at Sunday’s concert. She will appear on stage before fellow support act The Shakes, ahead of headline act Sister Sledge.
“I like Sister Sledge, I love We Are Family, and I’m so excited to be performing on the same stage as them,” she said. “I’ve heard about the South Tyneside Festival Sunday Concerts before and I can’t believe I am now getting the chance to be a part of it.
“It will be a big new experience performing at an open-air event like this, especially in front of such a large audience but I love a big stage and I’m really excited. I can’t wait.”
Sunday’s show will bring down the curtain on this year’s Sunday Concert series, and disco divas Sister Sledge will be jetting into the North East as part of a European tour.
Councillor Alan Kerr, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, with responsibility for Culture and Leisure, said organisers were keen to add Courtney to the line-up after seeing her on the show.
“The South Tyneside Festival Sunday Concert Series has always been about bringing big, headline names to South Shields while also giving young, up and coming musicians a platform to perform,” he said.
“Courtney is just 12-years-old but she has a fantastic voice and is very talented. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in the future, and it’s great that we have been able to add her to the bill.”
The Sunday Concert series is sponsored by Port of Tyne, Colmans Seafood Temple, Town Centre Automobiles and Little Haven Hotel, and regularly attracts tens of thousands of visitors from across the region and further afield.
Entry on the day is free but is strictly on a first come first served basis. The gates will open at approximately 12.30pm. For more information visit the website: www.southtynesidefestival.co.uk