A SOPRANO who wowed audiences of two billion when she performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is heading to St Asaph.

Elin Manahan Thomas will have a starring role at the North Wales International Music Festival at St Asaph Cathedral on Friday, September 28.

The festival, which runs from Saturday, September 15 to Sunday, September 30, is being supported by the Arts Council of Wales and Tŷ Cerdd.

Elin, who performed the Introit at the Royal Wedding in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, and sang a piece by George Frederick Handel joined by David Blackadder on trumpet, said: "It was lovely being invited to perform at Meghan and Prince Harry's wedding. I had a call, out of the blue, some months before from the Master of Music at St George’s Chapel who I have worked with in the past. I was delighted, obviously.

"The ceremony itself was beautiful. I had a brief chat with Prince Harry before the service. He wished me luck which was lovely. I said the same to him and he replied that he would need it.

"I also had a brief conversation with Prince William too.

"When Meghan came near me she gave me this wonderful smile. It was a magical day. What made it better for me that all mobile phones had to be surrendered before the ceremony started.

“That meant people were actually watching and weren’t filming everything on mobile phones.”

Elin sang Handel's Eternal Source of Light Divine, a piece she also performed at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics in London.

Elin, a specialist in Baroque music, added: "It has some really high notes which I’m particularly known for and Eternal Source of Light Divine is all about those very high notes.”

At the festival, Elin will be joined by pianist Jocelyn Freeman for a concert entitled Reflections to honour the work of two female Welsh composers - Morfydd Llwyn Owen, who died in Swansea aged just 27 in 1918, and composer and accompanist Dilys Elwyn Edwards who taught piano at Bangor University.

She said: “To perform works by Owen and Edwards, two amazing Welsh women composers, is wonderful and we know the St Asaph audience will really appreciate the work and understand the music.”

"Jocelyn is a wonderful pianist. I met her at the National Eisteddfod in 2009 which was held at Bala.

"I thought she was wonderful, a fantastic young pianist. I kept in touch and began working with her. She really understands the music and can interpret the composer’s work in the way it should be."

Ann Atkinson, North Wales International Music Festival artistic director, said: "It’s always a pleasure to hear Elin perform. She has the most amazing soprano voice and performs in a way which really brings out the emotion in any piece of work.

"The fact she is being accompanied by Jocelyn Freeman is a musical match made in heaven."

The concert will also include the group Family Affair made up of composer and pianist Brian Hughes, clarinettist Daniel Brian Hughes and flautist Miriam Hughes.

The North Wales International Music Festival will launch on Saturday, September 15 with the world premiere of a new piece by Professor Paul Mealor based on the Kipling poem My Boy Jack.

Ann added: "It's going to be a very special festival this year."

For tickets and to find out more about the festival, visit www.nwimf.com