OPERA singing sensations the OperaBabes, who are preparing to perform in Cheltenham next week, say their meteoric rise to fame has surprised them.

The OperaBabes are made up of Karen England and Rebecca Knight and just seven years ago they were busking in Covent Garden.

After they were first spotted by a talent scout who invited them to perform at the FA Cup Final, Karen admits it has been a ‘whirlwind.’ She said: “I am really looking forward to it as we had a great time last time we were in Cheltenham.

This time the show is acoustic and we will be singing without microphones.

“We get lots of messages from fans saying ‘I really like this song from the first album’ and ask us to perform it so we do listen to requests and also throw in a few of our favourites as well.

We love to have audience participation and are always chatting to them. It is a nice, informal, evening where everyone can have a good time and we have lots of costume changes which is great fun for us.”

Although the OperaBabes have only been in existence for six years, this is the tenth year that Karen and Rebecca have been singing together, which they say is a landmark that adds a feelgood factor to the tour.

Rebecca said: “This will be a very different show to the last time we were in Cheltenham when there was a largely techno vibe.

“It is the complete opposite this time as it is just us without microphones and we are joined by some amazing musicians in the form of a pianist, violinist and a string quartet. Every show is different and I love how spontaneous you can be when performing live.”

The OperaBabes are at Cheltenham Town Hall on Thursday, September 4 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available by calling 0844 576 2210 or visiting www.chelt enhamtownhall.org.uk.