Violinist from Great Barford joins a stellar cast for anniversary tour

A musician from Great Barford is joining a star cast of celebrities on tour with a ground-breaking show.
Caroline Owen with Jason DonovanCaroline Owen with Jason Donovan
Caroline Owen with Jason Donovan

Violinist Caroline Owen hits the stage alongside top names such as Jason Donovan for a 40th anniversary tour of Jeff Wayne’s musical version of ‘The War of the Worlds’.

The tour starts on Friday, November 30 in Glasgow and finishes in Brighton on December 16, including two shows at London’s 02 Arena on Saturday, December 15.

Caroline, who is tutoring the next generation of musicians through her own academy, said: “I am delighted to be joining a cast of stellar celebrities and world-class musicians playing for this very special tour. It’s one of the most ground-breaking arena tours of all time.

Caroline OwenCaroline Owen
Caroline Owen

“Playing violin live on stage with the Ulladubulla strings and Black Smoke Band, while the celebrities including Jason Donovan, Adam Garcia, Newton Faulkner and West End’s Carrie Hope Fletcher perform, is a great musical experience. There will be Liam Neeson appearing in 3D holography as The Journalist and a 35ft Martian fighting machine firing into the audience. It all makes a spectacular iconic show, which I can’t wait to see how it has developed since my last tour in 2014.”

Away from touring or performing professionally across the globe, Caroline teaches and has formed The Strings Academy, with pupils at Great Barford Primary and Robert Peel School in Sandy.

Caroline said: “It’s very important to give back. I started violin in primary school, and I said to my teacher, ‘When I grow up I would like to be a violinist!’ I was very lucky to have the free lessons.”

She grew up and went to school in Hitchin, and now runs the Hitchin Violin School. On her day off during the tour she will fly back to put on a show at Hitchin Town Hall, which involves the HLO, an 80-piece community orchestra.

Caroline added: “I moved to Great Barford in 2015 when I set up The Strings Academy with a view to providing affordable violin lessons in school, giving as many children the opportunity to play as possible. I hire violins out to the students so there is no need to invest in an expensive instrument.

“I love teaching and its great to have so many students. We put on shows and concerts locally at fun days, school fetes and festivals.”

Tour dates at https://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/jeff-wayne-s-the-war-of-the-worlds-tickets

Visit Www.carolineviolinist.com