CHARLOTTE CHURCH
A LOVELY TEENAGE GIRL
WITH A HEAVENLY VOICE
Charlotte Church
is the 13 year old
Welsh soprano phenomenon
who made her debut
with Sony Classical
on the 7th December 1998
with the release of her first CD
Voice of an Angel
an assorted collection of songs
sacred and Celtic
that brilliantly highlight
her incredible voice.
Voice of an Angel
has 17 tracks featuring
a wide variety of music
from folk songs to opera
beginning with her signature piece
Pie Jesu
and including a selective collection
of well known compositions.
Charlotte is accompanied
by the Orchestra and Chorus
of the Welsh National Opera
under the direction of S�an Edwards.
Her recording debut
on Sony Classical
Voice of an Angel
reached the double-platinum mark
in the United Kingdom
with over 600,000 copies sold
within 5 weeks of its release.
Voice of an Angel
which rose to No. 4
on the United Kingdom pop chart,
made Charlotte Church
the youngest female artist
ever to have an album
in the top five
in the United Kingdom
and the youngest ever
to have an album reach
the No. One classical spot,
putting her in
The Guinness Book
of World Records.
Charlotte was born
in Llandaff, Cardiff
and has loved music
as far back as
she can remember.
She lives with her parents,
Maria and James Church.
"When I was three and a half,
I sang Ghostbusters with my cousin
at a seaside holiday camp
in Caernarfon.
When we'd finished,
she left the stage
but I refused to go.
They had to drag me off!"
By the age of eight
she made a name for herself
at local competitions,
and audiences began to appreciate
the purity of her voice.
"I was watching
the Richard and Judy Show on TV
and they said they were looking
for talented kids."
Charlotte recalls.
"No-one was around
so I phoned up.
The producers said
I had to sing down the phone.
So I did Pie Jesu
and that was it.
I was invited on the show.
Mum and Dad
were the last to find out.�
They subsequently invited her
onto the program
on the strength of that phone call
and she stole the show.
This led to even more
television performances,
as well as high profile concerts
at the London Palladium,
the Royal Albert Hall
and Cardiff Arms Park.
A few months later
Charlotte introduced
her Aunt Caroline, also a singer
on a national television talent show.
The presenter asked Charlotte
to sing a few bars of Pie Jesu
and as a result
she was invited onto another program
where she sang the song
in it's entirety.
It was on this show
that Charlotte was spotted
by Sony Music UK Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer
Paul Burger, who was so impressed
by both her amazing voice
and her sparkling personality
that he signed her immediately.
Sony Music Entertainment Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer
Thomas D. Mottola enthuses,
"Charlotte Church is a phenomenon.
She is gifted beyond her years,
and her voice has a clarity and quality
that will surprise and captivate
audiences of all ages
the world over.
Her talents are unique,
and she is just at the start
of what will surely be
an extraordinary career."
Despite an extraordinary voice,
she's still a regular girl
with a taste for pop music ~
Natalie Imbruglia, the Corrs, Puff Daddy,
Gloria Estefan and Catatonia.
But she entertains no
permanent pop dreams for herself.
�I haven�t got the right voice,�
Charlotte explained.
Charlotte intends
to pursue a classical singing career.
"I hope one day
to appear at La Scala in Milan
in the title role of Puccini's opera,
Madame Butterfly
~ my favorite opera ~
and get a standing ovation, of course".
"I found the recording very hard work
as I had to sing over and over again, "
Charlotte said of making her first album,
"but it was most enjoyable.
I was surprised at how good
the voices and orchestra sounded
when mixed together,
and how the singing from my belly sounded.
I am very pleased
at how the album turned out".
"Charlotte is one in a million."
Chris Black, Director of Sony Classical UK said.
"She has a totally unique voice
and that indefinable something
one can only describe as star quality.
It's rare to find
such attributes in any artist,
and in one so young, even rarer.�
How does Charlotte
feel about all of it?
"It all went a bit mad," she laughs,
"and as for the ball gowns
I have to wear for concerts ~
I hate them!
That's one thing
that's got to change!"
"Well, like any other girl,
I love shopping ~
jeans, shoes ~ especially shoes.
I have fourteen pairs
not including trainers."
"I'm also a real fan
of computer games,
and I love The Corrs,
Puff Daddy
and Gloria Estefan."
After the release of
Voice of an Angel
in the United Kingdom,
Charlotte Church
was invited to perform
at the 50th birthday celebration
for the Prince of Wales
at the Royal Albert Hall
and in Pope John Paul II�s
Christmas in the Vatican concert,
which was televised internationally
on Christmas Eve 1998.
In the spring of 1999,
Charlotte was invited to perform
at the Ford's Theatre
in Washington D. C.
in the presence of
President and Mrs. Clinton.
Voice of an Angel
has been certified gold
in the United States
and with performances on
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,
Late Night with David Letterman,
Rosie O'Donnell,
The Today Show,
Good Morning America,
Regis and Kathie Lee
and Donny & Marie,
Charlotte Church has become
a major US celebrity.
Charlotte Church
will utilize her angelic voice
when she will be guest star on
Touched By An Angel
in the 1999 fall season.
Charlotte will provoke
Monica ~ Roma Downey ~
to grapple with jealousy.
~ Excerpts from the Letterman show ~
"Well, I started singing
when I was eight
because my aunt was a singer.
My aunt sings cabaret.
You see, all my family sings
and I sing classical.
I�m the only one.�
"When I was nine and a half,
I had singing lessons.
My voice became balanced
when I was ten,
so I�ve been singing classical
for three to three and a half years.�
"My aunt would come out in her cabaret
and I would sing with her.
I used to have
this big, bouncey voice
like Whitney Houston.
But then, I took singing lessons
and that all changed.�
(A burst of responsive laughter
from the audience, but Charlotte
fails to understand
the amusing inference.)
"What? What did I say?"
David: You have a bit of an accent.
"If I spoke with a heavy Welsh accent,
you wouldn�t understand me,
but I have a very soft accent.�
David: Is Wales a part of Great Britain?
"Yeah, see, here�s England,"
she said, gesturing with her hands
"then Wales is next to it,
then we�ve got some sea
and there�s Ireland.�
David: Is it true you eat nothing but mutton?
"Oh no!
We have everything!
People from Wales
have nothing but sheep
and they do nothing but farm.
But I live in Cardiff,
which is the capital of Wales.
It�s a much, much smaller
version of London.
It�s beautiful.
It�s very, very nice.�
"I�d definitely like
to keep singing classical.
I�d like to go into opera.
But before I go into opera,
I�d like to do a duet with
George Michael,
Elton John,
Wes Smith,
Hot Puffy
and the Spice Girls.�
"They refer to me
in England by the nickname ~
Opera Spice.�
"I don�t know
if I�m making lots of money.
It all goes into
a sort of trust thing for me.
So, like I have my allowance,
my pocket money
that my parents give me and stuff.
My parents are very, very honest
so there�s not a chance
I need ever to worry
about being ripped off.�
NOTE: I compiled these quotes by listening to
a recording of the Letterman TV broadcast and
apologize for any mistakes in representing her
comments as I transcribed them as I perceived
the words by way of her lovely Welsh accent.
Personal comment:
Charlotte sparkled throughout
the interview with a ready wit
and her most pleasant personality.
Her charming accent
was delightful and refreshing
and it was love at first sight.
When she sang Pie Jesu
the beauty and clarity
of your marvelous voice
moved me to tears.
I am greatly saddened
because at my age
it is doubtful that I will see
and hear Charlotte
at her glorious best,
but at least she happened
in my lifetime and I can
enjoy her while I can.
VOICE OF AN ANGEL
1 ~ Pie Jesu from Requiem ~ 3:26
Voice of an Angel
Charlotte has signed
with Sony Classical Music.
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I am in no way affiliated with
This page was created
PAGE CREATOR COMMENT:
Track Listing and Timing
2 ~ Panis Angelicus ~ 4:11
3 ~ No 21 In trutina from Carmina Burana ~ 2:06
4 ~ The Lord's Prayer ~ 2:53
5 ~ Jerusalem ~ 2:14
6 ~ Ave Maria in A Minor ~ 4:09
7 ~ Psalm 23 ~ 2:42
8 ~ I vow to thee, my country ~ 3:54
9 ~ Danny Boy ~ 2:44
10 ~ My Lagan Love ~ 3:13
11 ~ Suo G�n ~ 3:11
12 ~ A Lullaby ~ 2:58
13 ~ Amazing Grace ~ 2:42
~ Three Welsh Bird Songs ~
14 ~ Y Glyfinir - Allegretto ~ 2:19
15 ~ Tylluanod - Andante ~ 2:44
16 ~ Mae Hiraeth yn y Mor -Mod ~ 2:36
17 ~ When at night I go to sleep ~ 2:52
Total Time: 51:47
is the CD album featuring
the 12-year-old
Welsh singing soprano,
Charlotte Church.
are the sole property
of their respective owners.
Sony Classical or Charlotte Church.
for fans of Charlotte's music.
I have freely drawn on
text and pictures
attributed
to the initial efforts of,
and because of the kindness
and generosity of
Webmistress Karen Wilson
and James Marsh.
