A choir back from a USA tour, a BBC Young Musician Woodwind finalist, and a ‘wizard of the accordion’ will be performing in the South Hams.

The Kingsmen, Eliza Haskins and Phil Watson are set to provide entertainment at Dodbrooke Church, Kingsbridge, on Friday, June 29 at 7.30pm.

Eliza Haskins, 14, appeared in the recent BBC Young Musician of the Year Woodwind category finals. She has been playing recorder for six years and was the youngest competitor to reach the finals. Even though she didn’t win the final, she did win the Walter Todd Bursary for the ‘most promising performer not reaching the grand final’.

The Kingsmen, led by musical director and founder Roy Hann, have recently returned from their 12-day tour of the USA. A party of 30 singers, their partners, and one 18-month-old - Darcy visited the states.

The tour started in Lancaster, Pennsylvania - and the Amish Community, with hosting by the Red Rose Chorus and performances with the ladies chorus, Vocal Harmonix.

Then they went on to Washington DC to be hosted by the Alexandria Harmonizers who are themselves former world champions and have the honour of having US Senator John Glenn as one of their admirers and supporters. He even took a Harmonizers CD with him into space!

Their final part of the tour is to New York to be hosted by the Westchester Chordsmen and concluding with a joint concert in New York.

Phil Watson learnt to the oboe, clarinet, piano and piano accordion as a child, before taking an interest in writing music as a teenager. He joined the Royal Marines Band Service as an oboeist in 1974, progressing through the ranks and retiring as a Major 33-years later.

Today he is a music teacher, conductor, composer and performer, mainly the piano and accordion. ?You can buy tickets from WORDWISE on Fore Street or from the Kingsbridge Information Centre.