YORK singer and composer Steve Cassidy is working on a new album of his own songs.

He promises to give two of them their first performance at the Steve Cassidy Band and Friends concert on October 13 at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, including Only Love.

“This will feature choreography by Evelyn Witcombe, danced by girls from her school of dance, who will feature elsewhere in the show too,” says Steve.

He is putting together a new band line-up specially for the show that will augment Steve’s regular guitarist Steve Flanagan and drummer Brian Thomson, with John Murray on keyboards, Rod Swales on bass guitar and Dave Kemp on saxophone.

“This combination will give us more variety in the sound, particularly having the keyboard player, John Murray, who I’ve known for years and played in the band when I performed in Oliver!,” says Steve, who will assemble the band for rehearsals the week before the gig.

He is thrilled that Dave Kemp will be there. “Kempy, as he is popularly known, plays with Huge, the York party band, and is an amazing musician,” says Steve.

“He toured the world playing with Chris Rea and when Martine McCutcheon left EastEnders, Dave was the sax player chosen to accompany her concert appearance at the Royal Albert Hall.

“He reached number one in the charts when playing on one of The Jam’s albums; he was joined on stage by The Who’s Roger Daltrey in London; and he wows audiences with his virtuoso playing. I’m delighted to have him on board for next month’s concert.”

York singer, songwriter and actress Terri-Ann Prendergast will be a guest performer at Steve’s show.

“She’s a wonderful singer with a great future and she can act too. She played the lead in Black Potatoes, a musical play for which I wrote the music, and I’m sure that Terri-Ann, like another Prendergast from York, but no relation – John Barry – will be famous in her own right. You can watch her on YouTube at terriannmusic.”

Only 100 tickets are left for the 7.30pm concert, available at £10, concessions £9, on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk or by emailing stevecassidy.co.uk

“All the ingredients are there for this to be a memorable show and I really enjoy playing the Rowntree Theatre. I love the atmosphere and the intimacy that this unique venue provides,” says Steve, who will sing such numbers as Bright Lights, He Could Sing A Love Song, Just A Matter Of Time and Teach Me How To Lose, Teach Me How To Win.

Looking ahead, one of Steve’s songs in the October 13 show, Little Poppy Of Flanders, will also be performed at the Festival of Remembrance at York Barbican on Sunday, November 3 at 7pm.

“I wrote it for a school performance originally,” says music teacher Steve. “But then various Legions have asked me to sing it at Legion dinners and now I’ll be singing it with children from St George’s RC Primary School in York.”

Meanwhile, he continues to prepare his as-yet-untitled new album for release hopefully before Christmas. “I’m recording it at home because the quality of Apple equipment is amazing now, whereas before you had to meet the cost of recording studios,” says Steve, who has written all the songs.

“Usually on my albums it’s been two or three of my songs among the covers but this time I wanted it to be just my compositions.”