Described by the British music press as one of the few world-class female singer-songwriters Britain has ever produced, Thea Gilmore comes to Harpenden Public Halls next Thursday, June 5.

Her debut album Burning Dorothy was released in 1999 and in 2003 she hit the UK charts for the first time with her fourth album Avalanche and the hit singles Juliet and Mainstream.

During that period she famously decided not to sign to major record labels, declined to work with a famous dance remix team and refused to say she was sleeping with a soap star in order to gain tabloid exposure.

Her lyrics, voice and melodic flair have been admired by wide-ranging contemporaries including Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Richard Thompson, Neil Gaiman, David Baddiel and William Boyd.

In 2012 Don’t Stop Singing, her new musical settings of the late Sandy Denny’s unfinished works, received great acclaim, and included the single London which was used extensively in the BBC TV coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games.

The show begins at 7.30pm and tickets are £19.50 with concessions £18, available from the box office on 01582 767525 or go to the website www.harpendenpublichalls.co.uk