Young singer is through to Cowell finals
A12-YEAR-OLD classical singer has hit the right notes to win a place in the national final of a talent show run by music mogul Simon Cowell.
Amelia Clarke, from Woodley, won through the north west and Scotland heat of Team Star UK, run by the X Factor judge’s Syco company.
She sang Con Te Partiro - the Italian version of Time to Say Goodbye - and became one of five out of 32 to progress.
Now she is tuning up for the final and hopes it will be the launchpad for a career similar to that of her idol, Welsh songstress Katherine Jenkins.
Mum Michelle Fletcher, 40, said: “Amelia will sing another Italian or Latin song in the final.
“She will have to understand what the words mean in English as you can’t put the song across unless you know what you are singing.
“All the family are the same, we have our heart in our mouth but Amelia is as clam as anything, she gets excited rather than nervous.
“She doesn’t want to be a pop star like a lot of girls do, she wants to be a classical singer and idolises Katherine Jenkins.”
Before appearing in the north west final at the Royal Northern College of Music, Amelia had already progressed through an initial panel audition and a Greater Manchester final.
Now she will perform at the national final at the St Albans Arena on July 29.
Here Amelia, who lives with her mum and brother Morgan, 13, on Woodlands Avenue, will be one of 32 singers or dancers in the 12 and under age category.
Judges will select who they think are the best three performers before an audience text vote decides the winner.
Amelia first got the music bug when seeing Les Miserables on TV and singing along.
A part in South Pacific confirmed she wanted to pursue the interest.
She then swapped her place at a mainstream primary for a choristership at the Chetham’s School of Music.
Michelle said: “When Amelia sang the crowd had a great reaction, everyone was screaming and clapping.
“As her mum it makes me really proud.
“It is a really supportive crowd and competition, all the entrants support each other back stage and there is no nastiness or cattiness.”