A WEYMOUTH girl is the talk of the town after wowing the crowd with her sensational soprano voice.

Opera singer in the making Laura Sharley of Wyke Regis has strived to be an opera singer since the age of seven when she proudly declared her chosen path in life whilst she was at Radipole School.

She then went on to appear in the popular ITV talent programme Stars In Their Eyes Kids in 2003 when she was just 11 years-old.

She sang her heart out as Sarah Brightman after beating off competition from 30,000 other young singers.

She went on to continue singing whilst at All Saints' School in Weymouth.

Now, aged 21, she is studying to be an opera singer at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester but loves to come to Weymouth in the holidays.

A few weeks ago she silenced the crowd at Tom Browns pub in Dorchester when she decided to get up and sing O mio babbino caro from the opera Gianni Schicchi.

She said: “It was just so nice to be back in Dorset and I thought I'd get up and try a song.

“I am not good at sitting down in that kind of situation because I want to be involved.”

Here's the video snapped on a fan's mobile phone during Laura's performance

Organiser of the popular Dorchester Open Mic Surgery nights in Tom Browns, Jamie Pinnow said: “When Laura got up she made it look so effortless.

“I have never heard the pub go so quiet - she makes it look like she's not really trying and at the same time hitting these great notes.”

He added: “She really was incredible.”

In her spare time Laura has been touring the South as part of the Candlelight Opera Company - where she performs as a Soprano.

Her gruelling training schedule involves practising singing for three hours a day as well as academic studies and learning how to sing every song in three or four different languages.

Laura said: “Growing up, my mum played opera all the time in the house and it must have rubbed off.

“I remember watching Princess Diana's funeral and hearing the voice of an English Soprano Lynne Dawson and I just thought that I'd love to be able to sing like her.

“The ironic thing is that after I started my course two years ago it turns out that she is my teacher.”

As well as working as a music teacher, Laura plans to sing at Dorset events in the next year and added that she really looks forward to be home with her mum Stephanie in their family home in Douglas Road, Wyke Regis.

After she finished her opera course she plans to move back home full time and apply for opera companies in the south.

She said that Weymouth hosts some real talented pianists such as her piano teacher Duncan Honeybourne and would love to sing with them.

“I love how friendly it is in Weymouth and really miss the sense of community,” she added.

Her mum Stephanie said: “At first we thought that the opera singing was a little fad and would go away but she was so adamant that being an opera singer was for her - and now I am so extremely proud of her - she has worked so hard.”

Laura's next performance will take place on 16th february at Cafe Jagos in Dorchester.

Here's a great video of Laura singing at the Alexander Young Prize

To visit Laura's Facebook page click here

To find out more about Jamie Pinnow's Open Mic Surgery click here

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