Beverley Craven is loving being back on the circuit. When she takes to the Commotion 09 stage in the Oxfordshire Village of Kingham on June 6 she promises to sing her most famous hit Promise Me as part of the repertoire.

Simon Nicol from Fairport Convention has been approached to put in a guest appearance to play the acoustic guitar backing he provided on her first album all those years ago. And if Simon says ‘yes’, then Craven will probably feel, not unlike the title of her latest album, that it’s all a bit Close To Home.

The last time Craven was in Oxfordshire was over a decade ago, when young, free and single in the recording studios of Chipping Norton, she produced her eponymous first album with the help of local resident Nicol.

When she returns to the county as the headline act at Commotion, a lot of water will have passed under the bridge.

Chipping Norton’s recording studios have been replaced by a dental practice and Craven has several albums under her belt, a husband and three girls.

Craven’s debut album catapulted her to stardom in the early 1990s.

Google Beverley Craven and her most famous and successful single to-date — Promise Me — dominates the pages. Her debut album went on to sell two million copies, a feat rewarded with a Brit Award in 1992 for the newcomer of the year.

The Brit Award is something Craven is still immensely proud of. She confesses to the trophy still having pride of place on the mantelpiece, although looking back she says it all happened so fast: “I was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with Molly when I received the Brit Award. I remember I was wearing an awful black dress which looked more like a sack, a bright pink jacket and my husband’s size nine slippers because I couldn’t fit in any of my own shoes.”

Although Craven went on to produce two further albums, she wasn’t able to throw herself wholeheartedly into their promotion.

She says: “With three children under the age of five, you’ve permanently got one ear cocked to the frequency of their cry.”

But more than a decade later, with youngest daughter Connie now 12, it’s another story, and Craven is keen to “go out and do some shows and get back to writing again”.

The new album is being promoted with a 23-date tour in the autumn. The decision to play at Kingham’s Commotion was for sentimental reasons and Commotion’s pledge to donate money to the children’s cancer charity Clic Sargent.

Craven says: “I had cancer myself four years ago, which I’m completely over now, so I know what it’s like for someone to sit there and tell you it’s cancer. I think the only thing which is possibly worst than being told you’ve got cancer is being told your child’s got cancer.”

In addition to showcasing established musical talent, Commotion 09 will also feature popular Oxford and local up-and-coming bands.

An exclusive deal with Oxford music pub The Jericho Tavern will see the launch of The Jericho Tavern Stage at the event this year, which will showcase Oxford talent such as Little Fish and The Epstein.

This year’s festival will also kick off with Rock Idol – an opportunity for school bands. Blur bassist and local Alex James judged the event last year and is scheduled to appear again this year alongside producer Steve Lipson.

As well as the wide variety of live music on show, James Bond’s latest Aston Martin will appear and there will be fire-eaters, clowns, craft workshops and pony rides.

lFor further information, updates and ticket sales, go to commotionfestival.co.uk. Ticket prices are £15 adults, £8 students, £5 for 11- to 17-year-olds. Young children go free.