SARAH Holmes is a singer with the world at her feet and is hoping the next step on her road to stardom will be to win a national open mic competition.Miss Holmes, 23, lives in Stowmarket but originally hails from Northumberland where she was well-known for playing gigs in and around Newcastle and Durham.

SARAH Holmes is a singer with the world at her feet and is hoping the next step on her road to stardom will be to win a national open mic competition.

Miss Holmes, 23, lives in Stowmarket but originally hails from Northumberland where she was well-known for playing gigs in and around Newcastle and Durham.

After graduating from university with a foundation degree in music performance she decided to leave behind an established fan base up north and head down to Suffolk, where things quickly picked up from where she left off.

She has played in local venues during the summer and has now reached the eastern region final of the Open Mic UK competition, which is searching for the best talent across the country.

She wowed the judges at her September audition and has made it to the next stage, a showcase in Bedford on November 1.

She said: “I was really ecstatic when they told me I was through - it's all very exciting.

“I'll be trying to shout about this as much as possible in the lead up to the next round, trying to build up my presence locally even more, and hopefully keep building the support from the local community.”

Since her move Miss Holmes, an acoustic singer/songwriter, has been gigging across both Norfolk and Suffolk, at large and small venues.

She said the Open Mic UK Competition was her first attempt at any contest of that scale although she has been playing keyboards and guitar and writing her own songs since her early teens.

She added: “It's been a real challenge, moving down here and having to start over with no network at all, but I'd like to think I'm doing a good job.

“I'm always on the look out for opportunities to promote myself and my music, gigs, collaborations, and will always jump at the chance to play anywhere - there's no time to take it easy when I think about how far I have come and how far I still have to go.”

Tickets for the November 1 show at the Bedford Corn Exchange can be purchased from Miss Holmes via her website www.myspace.com/missholmesmusic.

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