A RISING young star from Brent Knoll will sing before one of her musical theatre idols in January.

Gracie Wickens-Sweet (pictured right), aged nine, discovered she was one of six talented youngsters to have been picked for the final of the national ‘Star of Stage’ competition earlier this month.

And judging the six’s singing skills at the January 18 final will be songstress Connie Fisher, winner of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria’.

Chuffed mum, Anne Sweet, said: “I’m absolutely over the moon.

“A lot of people don’t like singing in front of an audience and prefer the recording studio but Gracie is the other way around – she likes the interaction with the audience.”

Gracie enters Star of Stage’s final round as the highest-scoring contestant of the six, where she will also be judged by Only Men Aloud’s David Mahoney.

The winner will be given a headline performance slot at the Wales Millennium Centre for Cardiff Music Festival, along with a management deal and studio recording time.