Mike Sterling

Welsh Tenor and West End Star Mike Sterling is now celebrating 20 years in show business. His roles such as ‘The Phantom’ in "The Phantom of the Opera" and ‘Jean Valjean’ in "Les Misérables" in London’s West End, have also earned him international acclaim. He studied voice with Welsh Operatic Tenor ‘Allun Davies’ and drama with ‘David Kelsey’ (Guildford school of Arts).

Mike made his television debut on New Faces of 87 and was a winner in the grand final. He has appeared in several televised royal galas in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales, sharing billing with Eric Clapton, Shirley Bassey, Julia McGuiness Johnson, Michael Flattley and Barry Manilow. He has been seen in ITV’s Summertime Special, a TV series for Border Television: Mike Sterling’s Music Forum, Allo Allo, and S4C’s The Sian Cothi Show.

Mike has performed at the Swansea Grand Centenary Concert (alongside top opera stars Dennis O’Neill and Dame Gwyneth Jones), in Mor o’r gan, Croeso’r i’r Rhyll and on ITV’s This Morning with Richard and Judy where he led the celebrations for the 5,000th performance of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Mike has also performed at the Euro 96 opening ceremony at Wembley, in the Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall and in LWT’s Night of One Hundred Stars, again rubbing shoulders with some of the greats of show business.

In concert, Mike has topped the bill at some of the best venues in the UK including: the London Palladium, Hyde Park, the Royal Albert Hall, Stirling Castle and Dulwich Park. Mike has also featured with many orchestras including: the BBC Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic, the National Chamber Orchestra of Wales, the Chinese Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra performing in the UK, France and China.

His album entitled This is the moment - which includes famous West End hits, standards and original material - has also achieved international acclaim. He has recently completed devising a new show: An evening with Mike Sterling, which celebrates his 20-year career and features stars of opera and the West End and some of London’s finest musicians and a Welsh male voice choir.

Wessex Big Band

The band started life as Preston Youth Big Band in 1976. Ten Years later it grew up and changed its name to ‘The Wessex Big Band’. Today it continues to grow and entertain people of all ages. The band was formed by its Musical Director Alan Brown who, despite his thinning hair, still leads the band today. Alan has a real passion for the music of the big band and his enthusiasm and drive have inspired countless local musicians of all abilities to take part and perform with the band.

The band has played two tours in the United States and five on the Continent, taking in France, The Netherlands and Austria and will now be playing here in Yeovil for you tonight. A recording produced by the band is available for sale in the foyer.

On July 11th their special guest star is Mike Sterling and the band is proud and privileged to supply his backing music.