Edinburgh’s Got Talent: Classical lover Ciara only started lessons in August

Published on 10/10/2012 12:01

UP until ten months ago Ciara Harvie had not sung openly, let alone in front of a packed audience.

The 14-year-old from Longniddry will change all that in dramatic fashion when she makes her public singing debut in the Edinburgh’s Got Talent final later this month.

Ciara said she only realised that she had any vocal talent when she started taking lessons in August.

Ciara said: “My singing teacher was quite impressed. He encouraged me on. I like singing classical musical and opera. I just wanted to have the opportunity to perform in front of people in an audience. I don’t really mind if I win, but it’d be good to.”

The Preston Lodge High School student, who predicted the dress rehearsal would help in calming last-minute nerves, said she entered her audition two days before the cut-off.

She will perform the relatively unknown classical track Imaginer, by soprano Lara Fabian, at the Festival Theatre final. The original is sung in English, but Ciara said she intended to perform the challenging track in French despite not speaking fluent French.

The meaning of the song, which is about love, is changed in the French version to describe a dream of a peaceful world.“I heard someone signing it in French on YouTube and I thought it was quite nice,” Ciara said.

Such is the interest in her stage debut that her family will fly from Cork in Ireland to witness the performance.

Ciara said she wanted to pursue music as a career after school, but for now would be keeping her ambitions modest.

“I think I’ll carry on getting my singing lessons and just see what comes up,” she said.

Ten finalists will take to the stage to determine the winner of Edinburgh’s Got Talent on October 26.

The annual search for a star run by the Evening News aims to uncover the best amateur talent across Edinburgh and the Lothians each year.

• See tomorrow’s Evening News for the lowdown on finalist ­Derryn Mckillop

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