NEED a bit of swing in your life? Then let Colchester jazz singer, Lydia Bell entertain you once again.

This time she’s at the Moot Hall at the Town Hall next month for what promises to be the best Swing Spectacular yet.

May’s event follows two sold-out nights of swing and jazz which took place at the Colchester Arts Centre over the last two years.

With professional dance acts, cocktail bar and vintage dress code, as well as Lydia singing throughout the night, backed by the popular Sweeting Swing Band, like in previous year there will be a few musical surprises in store too.

Lydia says: “When I put on the first event I had no idea how it would go and while everyone at the Colchester Arts Centre has been brilliant in getting it off the ground, I just felt the Moot Hall had a larger space for dancing and perhaps is more like a proper swing hall venue.

“Last year I brought along my vocal trio Threebop and while we still sing together, I’m bringing another one to this year’s event.

“We’ve also got the Seaside Stompers dance group from Southend, which I’m very excited about. I still do a lot of gigs and events and it just seemed at all the events I was performing at, they were there too, so I asked them along and they said yes.”

Born and brought up in Colchester, Lydia studied at the Colchester County High School for Girls before going to Bristol University to study music.

Even from an early age, Lydia was interested in music, starting to play the piano at the age of seven, before moving on to the clarinet and saxophone.

Locally she’s been involved with the Colchester Operatic Society performing in their production of Sweeney Todd and then the society’s junior edition, CO2, in shows such as Guys and Dolls and Oklahoma!

Now at Guildhall, where she is taking a part-time two-year Masters in jazz performance (singing), she’s begun to involve herself in the massive London jazz scene.

The Swing Spectacular takes place at the Moot Hall, High Street, Colchester, on May 5 from 7.30pm until 12am. Tickets are £17.50 available from the Mercury Theatre box office on 01206 573948.