Forty guides and scouts from Southend will be among 700 performing at London's Albert Hall on Saturday.SALLY KINGreveals their excitement . . .

Scouts, Guides, Venture Scouts, Rangers, young leaders and leaders from Southend are stepping into the spotlight this Saturday in the Albert Hall.

In To the Spotlight is a national gang show which takes the cream of young performers from scout and guide associations across Britain for a grand gang show in the capital.

The Southend troop auditioned along with 8,000 others from across the country and the gang of 40 were among the 700 who were successful.

Natalie Laight, 19, a Brownie Guider from Leigh, has been selected to perform an operatic duet with another young woman from Kent.

The girls will be singing the Flower Duet from Delibes' Lakme - recently made famous by the British Airways advertisements.

Natalie is the current holder of the Freda Parry scholarship, a local award made to promising singers to help them prepare for a professional future.

She is studying music at Cardiff University, where she sings and plays the clarinet. Over the summer she has been working hard to retain her place as principle clarinetist in the university's chamber orchestra. She has also been working as a duty manager in Kids Kingdom.

"She is one of those people who, if she hasn't got something to do, looks for something," says her mother. "She has always been like that."

Natalie, a mezzo soprano explained: "I have been singing properly for five years.

"Last year I sang with the university choir in St David's Hall in Cardiff, but mainly I have sung at local music festivals in Southend."

How does she feel about singing at such a prestigious venue?

"It hasn't hit me yet. I have been told you can't see the audience, which will help. I'm hoping my adrenaline will kick in.

"During the summer I have been studying with Margaret Cozens. we went through the Flower song. It's not easy - it's hard to get it right."

"It has been particularly difficult because Catherine Randell the other half of the duet lives in Kent and we have only had one rehearsal. We will get a rehearsal on the day. I just hope I don't get a cold - all my flat-mates have one at the moment."

The whole gang will be producing a special item, I Got Rhythm, which will feature dancers, drummers and singers.

They will also front main items such as the first act finale and the main finale - together with other gang show groups from Basingstoke, Cambridge and Kettering and a group of guides from Dorset.

The tap dancers among the Southend crew have been learning a routine to perform with 70 tappers from all over Britain. They have been rehearsing for months and are excited and proud to have been chosen.

The evening at the Albert Hall promises to be one of first-class entertainment performed by the best young performers in the country. The evening will see items from individual gang shows from around the country.

The Albert Hall show is almost sold out, but that doesn't mean you won't have the chance to see these talented youngsters in action.

They are already rehearsing for next year's gang show, which will be at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff in February.

Special - singer Natalie Laight will be on stage

Pictures: MAXINE CLARKE

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