"From the moment I first heard Kerry sing, I was entranced, and felt the conviction that I would one day make an album for her. That conviction never left me." Brian May.

You have to agree that that is some endorsement and coming from a rock-star such as Queen guitarist Brian May, you have to doff the proverbial hat. The voice mentioned in the quote is Kerry Ellis, a seasoned musicals-performer whose connection with May began in 2002 when she created one of the key characters in the successful "We Will Rock You" stage-show (still running at the Dominion Theatre). After two years of playing Meat in the West End, she moved on to star in Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Wicked and many more before appearing on the TV talent-show, "Over The Rainbow", as a mentor. Busy girl.

Ellis and May will follow up their recently-announced Royal Albert Hall performances set to take place at 4pm and 8pm on Sunday 1st May (tickets for the early performance are still available from £30), with a full national tour. "Anthems" is the title of the jaunt, as well as Ellis' second-album issued last year (it made the Top 20) and Brian May will accompany her on all the dates.

The tour will hit Liverpool after London on the 3rd, followed by Gateshead, Sheffield and several big towns and cities, until a smaller trio in Milton Keynes, Southend and Bath, rounds of the tour on 21st May. Tickets will go on sale this Friday at 9am and demand will be huge.

Expect tracks from her previous shows and tracks from the album.