Tag: Jess Self

Devizes Rising Star Jess Self in Final for West End Kids

If you’ve seen Jess Self performing at the Wharf Theatre, singing at the FullTone Festival or elsewhere I’m certain you’ll agree with us; Jess has that star quality which lights up the stage…..

At 13 Jess won Vernon Kay’s Talent Nation, studied performing arts at Trowbridge’s Stagecoach and has appeared in many productions including Devizes Music Academy’s Six:Teen, The Railway Children and lead roles in more pantomimes at The Wharf Theatre than I could name!

We’re delighted to hear Jess has made the final seven hopefuls for West End Kids, the UK’s renowned pre-professional company for musical theatre training and elite performance. From hundreds of entries, the final seven young contestants are decided by public vote, to win a scholarship for their training programme.

Jess said, “the first show I ever went to watch was Matilda when I was 9, after the show I said I want to do this’ and I haven’t stopped singing since. This would be a dream come true for me!”

Now, this is where you come in, interactive which we are! Please help Jess reach the dream, vote for her and support local talent. Vote HERE by entering your name, and confirming by email. Voting ends this Sunday, 3rd August, so don’t delay.

We wish you the very best of luck, Jess! 

WEK: Star National Singing Competition – Final 7

My Complaint About Devizes’ Full-Tone Festival!

Images Used With Permission of Gail Foster

Chief organiser of the Full-Tone Festival, Jemma Brown has always been high on my list of local folk of admiration, but went a notch higher Sunday upon delivering a sly quip on stage, in retaliation to a lone keyboard warrior inanely slating the festival on Facebook, while the majority of locals, and visitors from afar, basked in the sunshine and glory of what was the ultimate, (and possibly final of this kind,) showcase of our fantastic homegrown Full-Tone Orchestra, their momentous accomplishment, and all the gorgeous gubbings which went with it!

I was sunbathing on a Muck & Dunder deckchair at the time, enjoying one of their Piña Coladas, the like only they seem to know how to create this side of the Atlantic Ocean, and a hearty chuckle impulsively launched from my cake hole. Oh my, the audacity of the ranting warrior caused a desire in me to march that silly sausage down to the breath-taking stage, allowing them to observe, even if momentarily, a sixty-piece orchestra harmoniously labouring sublimely, while a local youth sings their heart out at the most memorable, prestigious, and significant opportunity of their lives so far, to the tears of joy from their mum in the audience, overwhelmed with pride, and the smiles from those enjoying it, then ask this ranting nobody to confirm their complaint was not driven solely by selfish jealousy!

A neighbour of mine has a tendency to rev his motorbike in his garden. I cannot fathom why he needs to do this, neither appreciate the noise, but to ramble on about it on social media isn’t going to achieve anything but further verbal conflict. All I know is when you’re within the range of that stage, the divine acoustics immerse you, and even if it’s not your cuppa, you cannot deny the magnitude of the moment, just one weekend of it was all that was ever asked, the musical might of something you rarely get in Devizes, or anywhere for that matter.

Then, you turn away at your own free will, and note though it may have appeared so, you are not trapped in the Royal Albert Hall, you’re still on the familiar Green in Devizes, and deckchairs surrounds you like a day in a park, teetering with locals, spellbound and appreciating said moment. That is the magic of the Full-Tone Festival; go grab yourself a G&T or a Rowdy Cow ice cream, maybe get your face painted, return whenever you feel like it. It’s neither a sitting concert because of the freedom to come and go, nor a day in the park, because there’s a mahoosive and effective seamless programme of wonderful and varied music waving across the site; it is unique, iconic, and symbolic of everything great about Devizes.

All comes at a price, though, is another I hear plenty. Comparatively not so. Look around you, it’s over the pound mark for a Crunchie bar in a petrol station, and your average festival or a two-hour pop star’s gig will triple the price tag of Full-Tone’s three day extravaganza, if not more. You can only reasonably complain if your ears and eyes are shut.

Look! Look at that extravagant stage, wonder how many lines the technicians are juggling, watch the procession of musicians coming and going from the stage akin to the precision and order of an ant’s nest, though in pretty frocks! Consider every sidestall and those relentlessly working to serve you, the security, the first aid, the unison of everything coming together as it did, is both costly and executed with such professionalism I cannot fault it neither reason why anyone else would complain; it would be insanity to do so. Even conductor Anthony Brown waving his baton around for two solid days is enough to sympathise with any repetitive strain injury he’s likely to have developed!

Though I must say again, it was a shame it clashed with the Devizes Scooter Rally, an event also dear to my heart. In such, there were large chunks of both I missed in a desperate attempt to attend the two. I missed the Friday night, when Jemma’s Devizes Dance Academy replayed their musical Six, accompanied by the fantastic Ruby Darbyshire and Devizes indie popsters Nothing Rhymes With Orange, but console myself safe in the knowledge based on past experience, this would be a guaranteed chicken dinner.

There were so many elements I sadly missed. I know our prodigy Jess Self knocked it out of the Green with Annie’s Tomorrow, but I was made up by catching Six performers Ruby Phipps and Lisa Grime’s sublime solos during the James Bond theme section. Amidst the pro singers, these local youths held their own, and walked nervously but magnificently through it like it was butter on hot toast. There was the jazz big band on Sunday to make up for missing a Beatles tribute duo, and again, Talk in Code I know would’ve smashed it.

There’s simply too much to put every detail into words, but as an overall assessment based on what I witnessed or was gutted to be told how great what I missed was, The Full-Tone Festival again was a spectacular community event on a scale Devizes arguably hasn’t seen since the Boto-X, and the Green looked once again as full as the first paid Full-Tone Festival was three years ago. It will be a shame to see the Green fallow next year, but we look forward to the prospect of it returning in whatever different shape it’ll be.

Notwithstanding the financial gain from visitors to the town and local businesses this attracts, alone for it’s sheer capacity for not only providing a showcase for the orchestra, which will again venture out to the cities to perform at their prestigious venues, and attract the big names within the theatrical, classical and opera to grace our town, but also for showcasing upcoming local talent, Full-Tone receives no complaint from me, (the headline was just a sneaky clickbait trap, ha-ha!) Neither could I justify writing a single negative word about it. If I had to, it would be that we cannot do it bimonthly!

It was, as it has been each time, a fantastic event, and is loved by so many. Look again at dancers dancing, somehow, to the Chariots of Fire theme, kids in fairy wings, the old fellow napping in a deck chair with a bucket hat over his face…look and take heed of everyone, enjoying themselves ….my hat would come off to everyone involved, if it didn’t risk a sunburned bald patch!

Oh, go on then, everyone involved deserves a factor 50 sunblock, because you shine so bright!

See, I’m done and dusted with whinging; yep, that satirical rant column from many years ago, that I ask Jemma if she remembers, upon my request for more ammo, how she replied, rather I could highlight the positive things happening in town, and how that ended up with me meeting them at a rehearsal for a newly formed orchestra in Rowde school hall? Not that I’m blaming anyone for Devizine, I’ll take that rap(!!), more so thinking, wow, how far Full-Tone has come from that acorn, and how I’ve followed that inspirational progression.

Fantabulous and all and every synonym Microsoft Word will match it with, but what’s more to say? Please, if inclined, add your own thoughts to my waffle on the social media shares and I’ll transform them onto the bottom here. Help me create a fuller overview, tell me why you think Full-Tone Festival will be seriously missed from our event calendar next year and what you enjoyed about this one, thank you, and thank you Full-Tone and everyone who helped make this such a memorable occasion.

what else is going down?!

Rooks; New Single From M3G

Chippenham folk singer-songwriter, M3G (because she likes a backward “E”) has a new single out tomorrow, Friday 19th December. Put your jingly bell cheesy tunes…

Keep reading

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Devizes Girl Wins Vernon Kay’s Talent Nation

A huge congratulations to Jess Self, 13, from Devizes, who has won Vernon Kay’s Talent Nation…..

Presented by Park Dean Resorts, Talent Nation had over 2,500 applications and  ran at 52 holiday parks across the UK.

Jess travelled to Skegness where she made the final twelve, and was then crowned the overall winner by judges, including Alison Hammond and Strictly star AJ Pritchard. She performed a medley from Hairspray The Musical.

Jess said, “it’s like a dream come true. It was such an amazing experience and was a great opportunity.”

You can see Jess, performing as Red Riding Hood at the Wharf Theatre’s pantomime, Little Red Riding Hood, running from 9th to 17th December. Tickets HERE.

Jess, who loves performing, and is currently at Stagecoach performing arts school in Trowbridge, added she “can’t wait” to perform in the Wharf Pantomime and is excited to see everyone’s hard work come together. She says she’s extremely grateful for every opportunity that comes her way.

Well done, Jess; keep up the amazing work, fingers crossed, next stop, Broadway!