A LEADING actress is in Huddersfield tomorrow to help get the Mrs Sunderland Music Festival off to a stunning start.

Emma Williams, 20, a former winner at the festival, is to appear at a concert in Huddersfield Town Hall.

She rose to fame two years ago, when she starred in the hit West End show Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

But tomorrow evening she will join other vocalists competing in this year's Mrs Sunderland to showcase all that's best of local talent.

The Mrs Sunderland festival starts tonight, with classes getting under way at the town hall at 6.30pm.

Tomorrow evening sees the singers come to the fore - and organisers plan to make it a night to remember.

Festival spokesman David Hirst said: "We wanted to make the first Saturday of the festival a special one and we have done that.

"We have some excellent vocal competition and will then host a concert featuring the various finalists singing off against each other. They will be followed by Emma, who won at the Mrs Sunderland four years ago and went on to make a name for herself on stage and on film.

"It is a real coup to get her to Huddersfield and it will be an excellent night."

Emma was just 18 when she played Truly Scrumptious, opposite Michael Ball's Professor Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The gala preview audience at the London Palladium included James Bond star Roger Moore and his wife, Christina, Shirley Bassey, Sir Cliff Richard and Joan Collins.

Emma, who comes from Illingworth near Halifax, is no stranger to the spotlight.

In 2002, she played Kirsty Clark in Steve Coogan's hit comedy film The Parole Officer, in which Shelley actress Lena Headey also starred.

Tickets for the evening, priced at £3, will be available at the door.

TEENAGER Rachel O'Hare has been selling CDs of her singing for charity - in memory of her brother, who died of cancer when he was four.

Fans of Rachel's voice have been snapping up copies of her six-track disc.

The Birkby 14-year-old - now gearing up to sing solo at the Mrs Sunderland musical festival - has been offering copies at £3 each for the Candlelighters, a charity for children with cancer.

Rachel says: "My younger brother Joseph died from cancer when he was only four and I was eight. This charity is an extremely worthy cause.

"I have raised £250 so far and I want to say a big thank you to everyone who's bought a CD."

Rachel's father, Peter, a keen musician, played guitar, piano and dobro - a kind of slide guitar - on the CD.

They recorded it in a single day at Elland Recording Studio. They gave themselves an hour to perfect each song, to keep costs down.

Tracks include The Closest Thing To Crazy and The Wind Beneath My Wings.

Rachel is in Year 10 at Rastrick High School and is a member of the school choir.

She says: "I've been singing since I was little. Our senior choir has won its class at the Mrs Sunderland for three years running.

"This year our choir leader, Mrs Pryce Jones, asked if we wanted to enter as soloists as well.

"So I'm having a go!

"In the 14 and 15 girls' solo class I'm singing Star Vicino, which is in Italian. In the junior musical theatre class I sing If I Loved You from Carousel.

"I'm used to competitions as I have done many dancing ones.

"But I'm quite excited and also a bit nervous, as it will be a new experience."

Her mother Andrea said: "We're a very musical family and we're all really proud of Rachel."

Peter has played rock and pop gigs before to raise money for the Candlelighters.

Peter and Andrea have two other children - Rosie, 12, and six-year-old Robert.

* To buy a copy of Rachel's CD phone 01484 427794.