FIFTEEN-year-old wannabe opera singer Eleanor Williams, from Faringdon, was the star of Talent Oxford at the Kassam Stadium, Oxford, on Saturday.

She took the Best Vocal award in finals contested by 64 young acts, including dancers, singers and musicians.

She dazzled the judges with her performance of Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caro.

She, said: “It’s my passion, I really want to be an opera singer when I’m older. My grandmother, Dorothy Gomersall, was a famous opera singer and my great-great- aunt, Essie Gomersall, sang in front of the Queen.

“It’s definitely a lot of hard work and I practise every day. I started singing when I was about four — I did a solo in a school play and it’s just gone from there.”

Of the competition, she added: “It was a brilliant experience.

“When they said I’d won, I was shocked, I seriously didn’t think I would get it as nearly all the acts were vocals and the standard was high.”

Eleanor’s father, Ian, said: “It was fantastic, I was crying at the end. She did really well. How she does it, I’ll never know. I think she’s got a natural gift for learning the songs.”

Organiser Lydiah Igweh, who set up the event two years ago in memory of her late younger sister Samantha, said: “It was manic, but everyone seemed to enjoy it and I’m actually sad that it’s finished.

“Last year, we had just 16 finalists and this time it was 64, so it has really grown.

“My sister died of diabetes in October 2009, when she was 28. She used to love performing. She’s not here any more, but it’s a great way to leave something in her memory in her county.”