A talented singer who has battled cancer for the past two years and was once told she could lose her voice is continuing to bowl over crowds with her dulcet tones.

Lydia Haynes, a former Sir John Lawes student, captivated crowds at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans recently with her performance of Nina Simone’s I Don’t Want Him Anymore.

Her mother Fiona was in the crowd and said she was extremely proud of her positive and inspirational daughter. She added of the 18-year-old’s fight with illness: “At times it looked like she may lose her voice. If that is not bad enough her ambition in life since she was little was to be a singer.”

But the strong Wheathampstead teen fought her way to remission and continued pursuing her dream while also taking time to start a degree at university in Birmingham.

The music student discovered her love of singing at gospel choir before moving on to jazz and classical songs to which her mum commented: “She’s so blessed to have a choice in what she can sing.”

Since then she has gathered a legion of fans and followers with many clamouring to know when she is next performing and even asking if she has any album plans in the pipeline. The chanteuse will return to the district at Easter to sing at the theatre again.

Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzf2J6aQS6o to watch Lydia’s performance.