FINALISTS in a competition to find a leading singer or instrumentalist are preparing for a musical showdown.

The Rotary Club of Chester-le-Street, working with the James Etherington Music Trust, have now reached the final stages in the search for the musician who will get the prize of £300 to further their musical education. The runner-up will receive £150.

There are eight finalists for the competition, which will be held in the Methodist Church, Chester-le-Street, at 7pm on Tuesday, April 24. They are Jenna Cave, Mengya Du, Joel Finnan, Rosanne Jones, Leila Panesar, Joseph Smith, Hannah Stout and Yvonne Zhang.

Each contestant will give a 15-minute programme before a panel of judges. The public are invited free.

The James Etherington Music Trust was set up in 1978 to commemorate the musical career of singer James Etherington of Chester-le-Street, who gained national recognition as a well-known tenor in London's West End.