A WELL-KNOWN local singer performed in front of a capacity crowd at the Music at Stow Festival.

Toyah Willcox, who has amassed thirteen top 40 singles, acted in fifteen feature films and presented such diverse television programmes as The Good Sex Guide and Songs Of Praise song at St Edward's Church.

The star, who lives in Pershore, with her rock-star husband Robert Fripp of King Crimson fame, presented the evening in the form of a trip down memory lane, illustrated with songs, film clips, photos and some very entertaining name-dropping from her wide-ranging career.

The Fairport Convention filled the church to bursting point on the Friday night of the festival, and their infectious easy-going style had people dancing in the aisles of this 12th century “Cathedral of the Cotswolds”.

The festival’s classical night was expertly filled by the Cotswold Male Voice Choir with their guest soloist, baritone Angus McPhee.

Some familiar old favourites and some rousing numbers from around the world made up the diverse choir programme conducted by Charmaine Worrall – including some items which needed the choir to dress up as pirates, complete with squawking toy parrots.

For next year's festival, the audience will have The Searchers and the American jazz singer Stacey Kent to look forward to in 2018.