Capel Curig singing sensation Hero to preform at Wembley

Sep 16 2010 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

YOUNG Harpist Hero is off to Wembley after wowing the crowds on a Sky1 talent show.

The Conwy Valley schoolgirl will now play Wembley arena in the final of the TV music talent show Must Be The Music.

Holding her own alongside rock bands and a 16-strong choir, the 11-year-old from Capel Curig performed her own song Swept Away, accompanied by a string quartet.

Hero won the phone-in along with band Missing Andy on the last semi-final of the show on Sunday.

Both received three yeses from judges Dizzee Rascal, Sharleen Spiteri and Jamie Cullum, then faced the public vote.

Along with four other finalists she will now perform at Wembley this Sunday and has the chance to win a £100,000 prize.

Hero said she hopes to win so she can afford to buy her own harp, rather than renting one.

She said: “It's the dream of every person that sings to sing at Wembley.”

After her performance judge and jazz musician Jamie Cullum told her: “Hero, you talk about a journey going on for miles in your song and really this is the beginning of your journey.

“You’ve got a great voice, you clearly know how to write songs, you’re a talent.”

Rap artist Dizzee Rascal agreed, saying: “I loved the vocal control, it's serious. It was a wicked performance man, congratulations.”

And Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri added: “You didn’t seem nervous. I think when you get to Wembley you’ve got to step it up again to take it into a bigger place.”

Hero’s mum Lady Alice Douglas said it’s the taking part that counts. She said: “Hero already feels a winner getting through to the semi-final stage but she will still need the whole of Wales behind her because she is relying on the public vote to win.”

Hero will perform a composition called Angel at the live final at Wembley, shown on Sky1 at 7pm on Sunday.

Lady Alice added: “As well as performing Angel, Hero will get to perform with all three judges, it’s going to be a great show.”

Every contestant that makes it to the semi-finals releases a song as a single, with semi-finalists regularly topping the iTunes download chart.

Hero’s Swept Away was released on iTunes on Sunday, costing 59p.

Must Be The Music, Sky1, Sunday, September 19 at 7pm.