Church, Charlotte

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CHARLOTTE CHURCH

Born: Cardiff, Wales, 21 February 1986

Genre: Classical

Best-selling album since 1990: Charlotte Church (1999)

Classical singer Charlotte Church proved to be one of the unexpected stars of the late 1990s with the success of her debut album Voice of an Angel (1998), recorded and released when she was only twelve years old. Church's albums showcase her soprano voice in a variety of musical contexts, including opera arias, folk songs, art songs, and show tunes, all accompanied by world-class orchestras. Church is as much a product of the classical music industry struggling to maintain its shrinking market position as it is a product of her own drive toward success. As a crossover artist, Church has successfully brought her voice, and the music she sings, to a large audience.

An only child from a middle-class Welsh Catholic family, Church began singing publicly at an early age, making a name for herself in local karaoke competitions. Her mother, a former classical guitarist who worked in city government prior to Church's rise to fame, supported her daughter's singing. However, Church herself was responsible for many of her early breaks. She was famously discovered while introducing her aunt (also a singer) on a televised talent show. Her first manager, Jonathan Shalit, quickly arranged for an audition with Sony U.K., which offered her a generous five-album contract.

Church's albums chronicle her development as a singer. Voice of an Angel features songs in three languages—English, Latin, and Welch—carefully chosen to display her voice's best assets while appealing to a wide audience. Her signature song, the "Pie Jesu" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's play Requiem, showcases her voice's finest qualities: clear high notes, light vibrato, and an often mature sense of phrasing. Charlotte Church (1999) expands her repertoire with carefully selected Italian arias, including "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's opera Gianni Schicchi. Like Voice of an Angel, it includes a range of folk and show tunes, such as "Summertime" from George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess. With her youthful voice, Church shifts the narrative position of "Summertime" from the mother to the child, and what was once a dispirited lullaby loses its melancholy.

Her next album, Enchantment (2001), is a stylistic departure from earlier albums, with a much greater focus on show tunes rather than opera. Released on the Sony Music imprint (instead of Sony Classical), this album represents Church's concerted effort to shift her focus to pop repertoire.

Church's critics have been many and vocal. While some will grudgingly admit the appeal of her voice, most are quick to lament its inevitable destruction. Others have accused her parents and Sony U.K. of child abuse. Unlike instrumental child protégés, who are often praised for their interpretive abilities, many have declared Church not old enough to understand what she sings. When critics point out that many other children have good (or even better) voices, they either ignore or downplay Church's charisma and stage presence. Many of her fans find her voice a refreshing change from older opera singers too deeply steeped in convention. Church's repertoire of familiar favorites matches their expectations as much as her sweet voice appeals to their ears.