IN ONLY one year Salisbury’s newest festival, Celebrate Voice, has expanded with a ten10-day feast of singing talent featuring the best of international and British performers alongside a host of community singing events.

It launches on October 23 with Ronnie Scott and Glastonbury legend Liane Carroll at Salisbury Arts Centre and runs until November 1.

The festival this year celebrates Great British Divas – leading ladies in their field of musical theatre, folk, opera and jazz, as well as four performances of the world’s most loved opera, La Bohème, featuring an international cast of singers from five countries.

There will be lots of ways for the public to be part of the singing celebrations.

By mid-September this year’s event had already outsold the 2014 festival.

West End and Broadway star Kerry Ellis, famed for her role as Elphaba in hit show Wicked, performs an intimate musical theatre set at the Medieval Hall on October 31. And BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year 2015 Nancy Kerr will be appearing with her Sweet Visitor Band on October 29.

Soprano Susan Bullock CBE takes time out from her busy opera schedule to perform a rare recital alongside leading accompanist and conductor Phillip Thomas on October 25.

The international cast of La Bohème, are being hosted by local opera lovers in the city, offering their homes for these singing stars.

Jung Soo Yun, from South Korea, takes the role of

Rodolfo, following his success in the role for Danish Royal Opera and Spanish soprano Maria Miró takes on the heroine Mimi, having performed in Barcelona this summer with Placido Domingo. Festival artistic director Lynsey Docherty takes on the role of Musetta alongside Latvian baritone Pauls Putnins as

Marcello.

And the Celebrate Local event this year promotes two of Salisbury’s leading vocal ensembles, Sarum Six and Sarum Voices, who will be performing a concert together in a first for the city.

The Old George Mall hosts an extended Sing City on October 24, at 11am, featuring not only stars of the festival but giving the opportunity for the general public and local choirs to take part. And BBC top vocal coach and gospel leader Ken Burton leads the Celebrate Voice Weekend alongside composer conductor Howard Moody.

The singing weekend culminates in the grand finale and festival wrap party at the Medieval Hall. For details on enrolling, contact billy@celebratevoice.co.uk

Artistic director Lynsey Docherty said: “Local people took ownership of the festival right from the start. We have an incredible committee and volunteer team donating seemingly limitless time and skills to make it happen, which is absolutely essential given that the festival, unbelievably, runs with zero public funding.”

The festival self-funds

outreach projects, this year

putting on a concert at Antrobus House as a free event for groups including the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK, local stroke clubs and day centres.

The event takes the inter-

national cast of Bohème to Amesbury to perform in Amesbury for people who ordinarily wouldn’t have access through financial or physical constraints to attend concerts.

Venues include a first-time collaboration with Salisbury Arts Centre hosting two shows – the festival launch on Jazz Night (October 23) and Sunday Live Lunch Blues (October 25), with a free performance from Blues Award nominees Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral.

The opera, musical theatre, folk, choral and recital nights are held at the Medieval Hall in Salisbury’s Cathedral Close.

Sponsors include EFG Private Bank and The Mark Allen Group, Chas Baker, NFU Mutual Salisbury , Richard Griffiths & Co, Savills, and John Rose Photography .

For tickets call 01722 321744 or go to celebratevoice.co.uk.