Son of '˜Troubles' photographer to perform at Jewel Box event

Williem Vincent, as he is now known, will release his brand new album ‘Rising Slowly’ at the event which is billed as a “small-scale private festival with an eclectic programme” offering people the chance to get up close and personal with artists in a beautiful, relaxed environment.

And for Williem, who has dedicated his life to music, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a break from life in London and return home.

“I love coming home,” he said “and I try and get back here as much as I can. I feel very connected to Derry,

“I was involved with the first festival back in 2012. It’s really at the heart of the community.

“It’s hugely important and I see the festival as an opportunity not only to gather people together but for them to have a look at the area.”

As a viola player in the Western Youth Orchestra, Williem went on to pursue a career in music and in his time has played in bands that have supported stars including Jason Donovan and ‘Take That, ‘ while they were on tour.

“I’ve always done music in one form or the other,” he explained. “I just kept toiling away, although this is the first album that I have done completely on my own and I have written all the material myself.

“My father has hugely supportive of my music, he being a very musical person himself. He was a talented harmonica player and played in a harmonic band.

“He also played the trombone and was an absolute fan of music. My father was delighted that all of his children were musical. But he’d always tell us to get a proper job too and make sure we had a backup plan. ”

Tomorrow would have been Willie Carson’s birthday - and for Williem, it is a bitter sweet moment, as his father is no longer here but they will be using the occasion to showcase some of his non-Troubles photographs.

“My father had a long history of working in sales and marketing with the Derry Journal,” said Williem. “There were days when he’d have to get into the car and drive places to collect advertising revenue and it was on these occasions he took shots of landmarks.

“There are quite a lot of these images on the walls in Altnagelvin Hospital and some are part of the family’s collection.

“It was a different time when he was a photographer and he and the likes of Larry Doherty were war photographers.”

For a full list of events at the Jewel Box Festival please log on to http://www.jewelboxfest.com

For ticket details and info for the event, email [email protected]