A High Wycombe-born Tenor who has toured the world and shared the stage with the likes of Luciano Pavarotti will return to his hometown for two special performances.

Laurence Robinson, who was raised in the town in Cressex Road, will take the lead role in the inaugural Popera open air performance at The Rose Garden, Valley Road, on June 23 and 25.

The Tenor, who used to work at Dun and Bradstreet in High Wycombe, has performed at a host of sporting events and was even hired to welcome home the England rugby team in 2003 after winning the World Cup.

His performance at The Rose Garden, which was a former bowling green that has been refurbished into a stunning new venue, will be on a slightly smaller scale with an audience of around 350 people set to enjoy a selection of popular opera and classics from the musicals.

With a career that takes him across the world, Laurence says he excited to be able to perform in a place he still calls home.

He said: “I never get to perform round here so this is really fantastic. I don’t think I have ever been able to perform round here as all my stuff is abroad or all around the country, so it will be a real welcome change to do something here and The Rose Garden is really beautiful.

“Wycombe has changed so much, but I still look upon it as my hometown. My parents still live here. I still have a lot of friends here.”

So what can the audience expect from the show? Mark Elkins, who is organising the show, said it will feature “the kind of music you hum along to”.

He said: “You may have heard it on television or on adverts, but you can’t think where it comes from. It is music people can relate to. There will also be songs people know like Nessun Dorma and Time to Say Goodbye.”

Laurence added: “The mix of music is very exciting. There is an element of comedy in the show because I always like to do that with my shows. I don’t want people to think it will be a recital. It is really fun and people can get involved.”

The singer says it was Pavarotti who inspired him to get into singing full-time after seeing a performance at Hyde Park which brought a tear to his eye.

And he got to meet his idol when they both took part in a Channel 4 programme.

He said: “It was amazing. I got tearful – it was just that feeling of walking into a room and seeing your idol there, I couldn’t hold it back. He did so much for opera. He has created such a huge following and brought opera to the forefront.”

The show will also feature acclaimed stage violinist, Colette Hazen, who has performed with the likes of Michael Flatley.

Book your tickets now at www.rose-garden.co.uk or call 07872 300 999.