Jonathan Cilia Faro

From Now On

In His Own Words

feeling that you are losing your voice along with your dignity and your “I am Italian so for me food is a willpower… day by day you lose your huge part of my life. Cooking, eating, self-confidence along with your actual sharing life over food. Imagine going real self. You feel like you are back home after your chemo disappearing completely. All you treatment [with] no dinner because know is pain and loss and mind- even the idea of food, any smell of numbing fear. food makes you sick to your stomach to the point where you can’t imagine You become a loser for all the people ever eating again. While you are close to you because you are no sleeping all you can taste is bitterness longer “somebody", and nobody in your mouth, it's so intense that you encourages you, all this gets cry. Everything about your life is confirmed by vocal exercise failures bitter now. when the voice does not do what it used to and the piano which was once This thing is a monster - it scares an your salvation and a place of joy adult man who once thought of becomes your enemy. Your mind has himself as strong and brave. Waking forgotten every note of every song, up in the middle of the night alone and your body just wants to give up and scared. You try to scream but and nothing goes right and you think your voice does not come out, you are it never will again. For a singer losing your voice is like for a runner losing a leg. For most of my life, my voice Success, although not easy, came was all I had, all I could count on and fairly quickly for Jonathan. He was what made me the person I thought I signed to a recording contract at was and was meant to be. sixteen and sold over 100,000 copies of his first , “Always Close to You start to neglect your own Me.” personal care; your hair grows wild and your beard is a jungle and you let Not content to develop his voice only, go. You start to focus on other things Jonathan has established himself as a and soon you are away from music, talented pianist, – and working as a waiter in a restaurant those are just his musical talents. He and helping in the kitchen… You are has served in the army, studied slow and spend your life in a daze theology and enjoys to cook and make feeling like shit all the time both his own wine. physically and emotionally. However, when Jonathan was diagnosed with cancer his career came ” to an abrupt halt. With seemingly These startling words give us a little everything lost, it was the hardest glimpse into the hell that tenor battle that he’s yet had to fight. Jonathan Cilia Faro experienced when Through surgery and chemotherapy, he was diagnosed with cancer at the Jonathan battled his way back. age of twenty-five. Up until then, Coming out on the other side has Jonathan had been well on his way to completely changed him, not only as a fulfilling his dream of becoming an singer but as a person. international classical crossover singing star. His latest album, “From Now On” named after a track of the same title, It was a nun who first discovered his puts on display a rich tenor voice voice and encouraged the potential ringing out with purpose. Singing she heard. mainly in his native Italian, Jonathan distinguishes himself not only as a The rich distinctive voice of Luciano solid singer with the potential of wide Pavarotti drifting through the Sicilian appeal but as an artist with a passion summer made a lasting impression on that is inspiring. Jonathan and solidified his love for music. “Music is the most beautiful thing to ever happen in my life, music is true art,” Jonathan tells us. Despite everything he has gone through he says, “The music inside you never it's still there. Every pain, every stops, it keeps playing inside you even hardship can become a beautiful when you stop hearing it for a while melody.”

“From Now On” is available to purchase now. jonathancf.com

Robert Emery Music is my home

“Music is all I’ve ever known. I’ve been performing since the age of seven, so the stage is really not a stage, but home.”

Pianist. Arranger. Conductor. I had no training and didn’t know Producer. Entrepreneur. Robert how I could do this, didn’t know it Emery is the definition of a multi- was an unusual thing to do, it was just passionate musician that is something that I did.” constantly evolving. His influence is However, his special ability did not seen in crossover artists such as escape the notice of his mother who Russell Watson, Joanna Forest, decided soon after it was time to get Jonathan Antoine and I believe his him lessons. Robert began to study presence in the genre will only grow with a local piano teacher. “After with time. about a year I was put through a test The piano was a gift that had been and I couldn’t read music.” His passed down from his grandmother. incredible ear for music had allowed The popular program “Top of the Robert to play back the examples Pops” was a favorite of the Emery’s from his teacher without actually and provided a special challenge for learning how to read music. “Nobody Robert. “I used to just listen to the knew but they found out at that point. number one song on Top of the Pops So, I was then taken to another and would go to the piano and play it. teacher who focused me really hard piano. One is that you have all eighty- on learning to read music.” eight notes in front of you, you can see them all, it covers the range of His education continued in primary pitch, and it covers all instruments. It school where he also began studying goes up to the highest note any other cello. “We also had general music instrument can play and goes down to classes twice per week where we the lowest note that any other would all get together and play instrument can play. And because of percussion. I also sang in the choir that, and because of the volume, that and there was a little school orchestra you can play really loud or really that I played in, so I was surrounded quietly, I fell in love with the idea that by music.” I could produce sounds on the piano Robert refers to this nurturing period that would sound like a finished piece as being covered in a “musical duvet” right away. Whereas if I wanted to which helped him become the play the pop song I heard on Top of musician he is today (which includes the Pops on the flute, you’d only hear being a self-taught conductor). the tune, and almost any other “When I was eighteen, I conducted instrument you would just play the the Birmingham Philharmonic tune or you would play the bass, but Orchestra… I created a concert with piano you can do everything.” called, ‘The Classical Spectacular’, Through the years he has grown to which looked great, sounded okay, but love many pieces but favorite among I had the time of my life. And I them are Rachmaninov’s “Piano thought, ‘How hard can waving a Concerto No. 2” and Gershwin’s, stick be?’ So, I just threw myself into “Rhapsody in Blue.” Robert seems it. After that I realized, yes, it is quite not only to love the music but the hard. When you throw yourself into composers as personalities. the deep end like that you learn, “Rachmaninov incidentally, was an hopefully, to be successful very interesting character. He lived in quickly, and if you don’t then you Russia and when he wanted to move realize it’s not for you. I was very to America, he loved his house so lucky that I realized conducting was much he effectively dismantled it, for me.” shipped it to America and rebuilt it in However, the piano will always be the states. Gershwin was an significant for Robert. “There are a interesting character because when couple of things I love about the he wrote Rhapsody in blue, he

couldn’t actually physically write to London to go to the Royal College music, he didn’t have the theoretical of Music and I get a job as a church knowledge. He was a ‘Jazzer ‘really. organist in Chiswick, just to earn a bit On the very first performance the of money. Literally the first Sunday orchestral parts were written by his that I played the Vicar said to me, ‘I’d arranger and he essentially said to like you to meet someone whom I the conductor, ‘When it gets to the think you might find useful.’ And Mike piano solo bits I’m going to play what Dixson walked down the aisle.” The I play, it’s not written down, and vicar also introduced Robert to basically when I want you to join back Michael Reed. “I have become very in I’m going to give you a nod, and close with both of them, but Mike that’s when you rejoin.’ And that first Reed in particular, who is even the performance was never recorded, the Godfather to my son, and that really sheet music was never there, apart sparked off my interest in theatre.” from what the orchestra played, so the “What it means to me is the conductor ran home and tried to combination of a great story with remember what Gershwin had played, drama, hopefully, a great set, and and that is what we know today as costumes. Bringing that story to life Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, it’s the through that medium, on stage, and memory of what the conductor heard through music, is for me a perfect on that night.” combination of the arts put together.” Robert studied acting at fourteen and Robert’s credits in theatre include although he decided to give it up in “Bat out of Hell” a musical on which favor of music his flair for storytelling he worked with Meatloaf and Jim is evident. With this background it Steinman. “The story’s bonkers, the seemed natural that he would be set was even more bonkers and the drawn into the world of Broadway. “I music is thrilling to play and conduct saw Joseph and the Amazing on a nightly basis and I was lucky Technicolor Dream Coat at the enough to conduct it. The highlight London Palladium when I was ten. I for me was to conduct it at the circled Mike Dixson, musical London Colosseum with the English director, Michael Reed, musical National Opera.” supervisor, and I wrote in my program as a ten-year-old, this is Nowadays he writes his own material what I want to do when I grow up. If and hopes to see them performed. “I you cut to eight years later, I moved was lucky enough to premier one of my musicals in Switzerland in 2018, venture was not without its and there will be another musical complications including commuting coming up in mainland Europe in every day between London and West 2020.” Midlands. The pace was unsustainable. Despite his incredible talent, Robert realized early on the fickle nature of “In the third year out of the four-year the music business. “I wanted to course at the Royal College of Music, create myself an insurance policy, I was called in for a meeting and told and a pension pot, and I thought the that I was in danger of being thrown best way to do that would be to create out of the Royal College because I a company which deals with the arts wasn’t concentrating enough on my just in case my career as a pianist, or studies. I was too busy gigging as a conductor, or as a composer, around the UK and setting up didn’t take off. Then I would still have productions. So, I decided for the the company beside me.” fourth year of my college degree to pause the business.” To this end, Robert created a production company at sixteen. “I However, this was only a temporary wanted to start getting performance setback for the budding entrepreneur. experience and I didn’t want to rely “Once I had successfully graduated, I on other people giving it to me. I formed a new business called The wanted to generate it for myself…I Arts Group, whereupon I decided to come from a standard family split the business up into different background, didn’t have a lot of sectors. We have Arts Symphonic, money, and I knew that to move to which is one of the most creative London and go to the Royal College orchestras having multi-ensemble of music I would need some money.” options ranging from a small eight- He figured the best way to make the piece chamber group to the full 90- funds he needed was to not only be piece symphony orchestra. Then I the artist but the producer as well. “If figured out if I am going to create an I could also be the producer and get orchestra, I’d need to create a the ticket money in as the producer commercial choir as well to sing on does, then it’s a double whammy. You any or in any concerts that we get two sets of income.” were producing, and that’s the Arts Voices. The Arts Academy was This was in his mind “the sensible something that was born as well thing to do” but of course this new

in 2005, because I saw a gap in the straight and narrow. At the end of market where music teachers needed 2011 I had what some people call more work and people who are new ‘burn out’ and struggled to get over didn’t have easy access to high- that because it also lowers your quality music teachers. So, I set up the confidence. I learned that I have to be Arts Academy. At that point I opened careful with how much I work. Back up an office in West London. I had then I was doing easily 100 hours a seven people working for me. Arts week. I have to make sure that I pace Festivals was something that I myself and be a bit pickier and more originally created to produce but choosey as to who I work with and we’ve pivoted what I do.” away from that “Music is never the He’s learned to idea. Its sole delegate and now function now is problem, people are.” has an assistant to help consult Annika. “One of with other the things I realized is that having a artistic establishments to produce professional experienced person events and also to produce our own running the show behind the scenes, events.” which is my assistant, that’s a real If Robert has one flaw it’s having too saving grace in my life because many ideas and getting spread too without that I would really struggle to thin. “I do ideas and that’s the bit that achieve what I’ve achieved. Without I’m great at. I’m terrible at getting it that I would run around like a from an idea into something which headless chicken going, ‘I can do this, can happen because I just move on to I can do this! But I don’t know how!’ the next idea.” Because I would be overwhelmed with the amount of work that is needed. Despite the many opportunities that Having an assistant is a God sent!” have come his way Robert has also learned to place limits. “It looks very Robert remains happy about being a glamorous, it sounds very glamorous, multi-passionate person saying, but in 2011 as an example, I caught a “Creativity is the source of all life. flight every three days for the whole For me, it is impossible to be year, and at the end of that year, I overwhelmed by that because it is a was completely worn out. I really thrilling thing to have.” struggled emotionally and physically, to some extent, to keep me on the

It’s a good attitude to have in a world time with Russell. He is one of the where artists are continually required characters that have been around for to produce new content. “The people, so long in the industry, he really you tend to find, who are successful, knows how it works, where the pitfalls are the ones that are not pigeonholed. are, what people are going to expect If you look at someone like the and what they are not going to expect. Beatles, in some of their most famous Golden rules like, you need to be tracks they used a sitar - that’s utterly gracious and polite even in the definitely not pigeonholed. Look at most stressful situations with someone like Simon Rattle, when he promoters, and producers, and was first at the CBSO in Birmingham. financial backers, and record labels, He was a young person, he was at all times… it was just acting like a vibrant, full of passion, full of energy sponge around him and learning what (still is), and he really challenged the he did, that advice put me in good orchestra to play works that were not stead for my future career.” being played in the country, and he Not surprisingly Robert thinks it’s was definitely not pigeonholed. time for the crossover world to get a Whatever you choose to do in your little shaken up. “I think Classical career, you have to really do to the Crossover as a genre has gone a little very best of your ability. You have to stagnant. You can see that by the try your very hardest at all times. album sales of even the biggest stars Always have in the back of your mind like Russell and Katherine Jenkins, that you are only as good as your last the album sales are not what they performance.” were five years ago let alone ten years Classical Crossover was the perfect ago. Does that mean that they are genre for someone with as much producing worse albums? No, I don’t appreciation of various genres as believe it does. I think people like Robert has and he dived in deep Russell are still doing great work, serving as a conductor for one of the however, I do feel that the genre as a genre’s most successful performers, whole has stagnated a little and needs Russell Watson. “I was lucky enough an injection of new blood, new music, to tour the world with him. One of the and new types of music. The tricky reasons I was lucky was, yes, I got to thing about this is that as much as I see some amazing places and conduct believe we need to have new music I some amazing orchestras in amazing venues, but I also got to spend a lot of

do also understand that audiences take at least five years, we will come don’t necessarily like change… it’s a out the other side and the genre will tricky conundrum. How do you inject have another renaissance. But it will new creativity, new sounds, into the only happen if people, like Joanna, Classical Crossover genre, so it keep on challenging the Classical doesn’t become tedious and every Crossover genre, bringing out new record doesn’t sound like the record material which is applicable for the before, how do you do that and audience, but also challenging.” update the genre to modern-day If anything is clear through his without alienating the audience? And extraordinary career it’s that Robert that’s the million-dollar question.” Emery loves music and all the Robert recently produced The Rhythm challenges that come with. of Life for Joanna Forest and sees it as “The nice thing about music for me is a bright spot. “I’m thrilled with it. Not that it is in every fiber of my being. I just because it’s an album I produced, feel totally at home when I am on a but because I think the style of the stage in front of two or twenty album, and the mix of the music on it, thousand people. I don’t feel nervous, and the new arrangements, and the I don’t feel daunted, I don’t feel new sound that I’ve worked on quite worried. Put me in a party with heavily with Joanna from day one twenty people and I’ll skulk in the with the first album, is, hopefully, corner, very shy. But music puts me at inserting new life and color into the home. It’s where I feel most industry. I hope this will continue to comfortable, it’s where my heart is, help Joanna grow as an artist but also it’s where my brain is, it’s where my in a transition phase, from just buying soul is. Every fiber of my being loves CDs and hold them to streaming. The creating new music and performing classical genre in streaming is still old music, hopefully in new ways. unbelievably low, yet the CD sales That’s what motivates me and I hope have declined. So, we are in a it will continue to do so for as long as transition phase and I do believe that I live.” in five years, and I do think it will

The podcast “Backstage with Robert Emery” is available from robertemery.com

Getting to know Danielle Louise Thomas

Hailing from Liverpool, Danielle has made a name for herself as a mezzo-soprano with a beautiful dark voice and a poised stage presence. Danielle has recorded two albums and performed on numerous high-profile events. Here are some of the things we’ve learned about this talented songstress.

The first song Danielle sang as a the junior school of the RNCM in child was ‘Part of Your World.’ so things were all go for me at that point. I knew at that very young age that I loved to sing and I would sing pretty Her idea of success has evolved over much every Disney song going at time. every opportunity to anyone that would listen! At that stage in my life, my future goals were to do A-Level Music and She was featured on ‘Songs of go to conservatoire to study Praise’ at only eleven-years-old. opera/vocal studies and then become a singer within the opera world - that was a fantastic was my expectation. That very much platform for me but most of all, it was drastically changed for me… I was fun which is so important when you getting bullied in school so I didn’t start any profession from a young age. want to be there. I couldn’t stay on to I was studying privately with a vocal do my A-Levels as the bullying got so teacher and also a piano teacher, and bad and even more unfortunate, I just was just about to start as a student of wasn’t in any position to be able to afford a place at a conservatoire. in my heart no matter where I end up Instead, I left school at 16 and began in life! working pretty much straight away. Tesco, support work for adults with She went through a rather dramatic learning disabilities plus night shifts voice change. (Yes, girl’s voices as a care assistant in a nursing home change too!) whilst still have singing lessons and doing the odd few gigs. I genuinely From a young age, I grasped the thought I had failed. However, my breathing techniques quite quickly. idea of Success is completely What I have struggled with, is my different now - to me, I am successful. voice changing. I used to be a I am just singing for a living now and Soprano but quite drastically when I to compare what my life was like only was around 17/18 the quality in my a few years ago, seems like a miracle. voice changed and has stayed pretty People get the wrong idea of what much the same since. Being a Mezzo success is, I’ve never wanted fame is great but you suddenly have this and fortune, I just wanted to be doing fear of high notes! I do anyway! What something I love for a living, and that I need to focus on more is dropping is exactly what I do now. my jaw to create more space and not overthinking in the higher register. She is Liverpool’s Singer in I’m always told ‘if the higher notes Residence. sound squeaky to you, it’s correct because the sound that the audience Anyone who has been to Liverpool hears is full’ and I need to get used to and met us scousers will know what that! type of people we are! We have had a lot of bad press on the past but [wait] Danielle studies with a coach from until you’ve been here and witnessed the Royal College in London. it yourself, then make a judgment. You couldn’t get a more supportive My vocal coach teaches at the Royal city if you tried. Being Liverpool’s College in London so I only see her a Singer in Residence is something I am few times a year. I have an intense incredibly proud of; it is thanks to this technique lesson with her each time City that I am able to do what I do. and go over any repertoire I am We created the biggest band in history performing at that time. We recently and there is so much talent here, in looked over Handel’s Messiah and every genre of music. They believed Rutter’s . I am currently in me and have continued to support working on Karl Jenkins ‘The Armed me on my career journey. I am a very Man’ and the beautiful aria ‘Una lucky girl. Liverpool will always be

Voce Poco Fa’ from Rossini’s Barber Years back, the dream would have of Seville. been to pursue a career in the opera world, however, because I didn’t go She takes each performance to conservatoire and study full time, seriously. that will never happen - so I’ve been told. It’s amazing how a piece of I approach every performance I do in paper can determine your future the same manner, whether that be really. However, I am very much at singing at a funeral or singing on live home being a concert/event singer television. Granted there’s a lot more which is what I do full time. No pressure with bigger events but I performance is the same, I get to work wouldn’t want to feel like I haven’t with the most incredible musicians given my all into something just such as the Band of Her Majesty’s because there were fewer people there Royal Marines, the Band of the Duke or it wasn’t a huge event. I just love of Lancaster’s Regiment, the amazing singing and I would want people to Mike Moran, , Russell feel that from me. Watson to name a few.

Her second album Serenade is She is an Ambassador for North available for purchase now. West Cancer Research.

Serenade is something I wanted to do The biggest influence in my life was where I could add most genres into my Gramps. He was the person who one cd. I get a lot of mixed audiences discovered I could sing, would sit and - some really love the opera, some not listen to me practice, take me to my so much. So, I felt as if I wanted to singing lessons, support me at every experiment with a few things, like performance - you name it, he did singing ‘Music of the Night’ from it. My Gramps lived with me from a Phantom and a cover of ‘Run’ by very young age, he took me to see Snow Patrol. I just wanted to give Phantom of the Opera when I was 9 something for everyone. I have a and I remember turning to him and fantastic pianist, Stephen Mannings, saying ‘Gramps I want to do that, I who is assistant director of music at want to sing like that’ and within Liverpool Cathedral who weeks I had a singing teacher. He was accompanied me on the album so he incredible. made it even better for me with his wonderful talent. Back in 2011, he got diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer. My sister and I Danielle is very happy being a nursed him at home until he passed concert singer. away seven months later in 2012 holding our hands. I wanted to do I would. A few years later they asked something to raise awareness and if I would become an ambassador for funds to find a cure. That year, North the charity to which I couldn’t refuse. West Cancer Research asked me if I I perform free of charge whenever I would open their concert can for them and have regularly been with ‘O Holy Night’ which I did. I did out in Liverpool City Centre busking everything they asked me to do for them to raise funds. If I can help a because I knew in some small way I little bit by using my voice, then I’m was helping as I vowed to my Gramps happy.

Keep up with Danielle’s performance schedule at her website: daniellelouisethomas.co.uk

EMER BARRY IS EMER BARRY

By Chantelle Constable

While studying opera, Emer Barry Emer's father compared her voice to had a chance to work with coach Sissel, and told her, "Never force it, Mark Shanahan in London. Once, just let it be what it is." Sarah during a masterclass, he said, "Angela Brightman and Sissel were some of Gheorghiu is not a soprano, there are Emer's earliest influences - although thousands of sopranos in the world. she grew up with a strictly classical Angela Gheorghiu is Angela training singing in Mass - and she Gheorghiu." The advice resonated would love to work with the with Emer, and she says, "I was Norwegian soprano, both in her own obsessing about my voice and trying capacity as a fan and as a to make it sound 'more operatic', remembrance of her dad, who passed 'bigger', 'warmer', 'rounder' - all the away in 2002 from cancer. words I kept hearing were good things for a voice to be. But in the Of that time, Emer says, "It was such process, I was essentially sounding a difficult time for me both personally less 'me'. The best gift any artist has is and professionally as my Dad their unique personality, past, and represented my confidence in myself. I physicality - being true to all of that think it's one of the reasons I went and allowing them to be part of your through a period of 'over singing'. I music is the real challenge - and the was trying so hard to feel accepted real art." and admired in the music world and I thought having a bigger, more operatic voice would do that. I

thought it would bring me the But for all her love of a cozy night in, encouragement and praise I was it's safe to say that Emer is no couch longing for after my Dad died. It was potato - in addition to performing a long time before I realized that with Celtic crossover trio Affiniti, the being myself - the me with the small traveling show "Songs of Ireland," voice, the me who was sensitive and and her own solo work - Emer also the me with the amazing Dad - was juggles all the management aspects of actually the most valuable thing I her career by herself. "The issue of possessed." balance tends to rear its head more between performance and While the fairy tale princesses she administration but I think any grew up with were all blonde and artist will say the same! I witches all distressingly brunette, often say it's like I work a full-time Emer found a role model in Audrey job and 4 part-time jobs! My full-time Hepburn. "I think I identified with her job is as a performer/recording artist because she represented a different but I'm also my own graphic designer, kind of beauty. Audrey Hepburn was promoter, social media manager and like me - tall, skinny, flat-chested, project manager. I love that I have softly spoken, gentle - all the things I complete creative control but it can didn't like about myself and she made be tough leaving enough time to them seem great! I think that's one of actually use that creative freedom!" the reasons role models are so Though she works with a producer important." and film crew for her acclaimed projects, Emer even does Emer is a fan of film in general, and her own styling for the videos which she loves to curl up with a glass of she says is, "both challenging and wine, a bowl of popcorn, and a good rewarding!" movie. She admits to being "a big kid," favoring superhero films and Affiniti formed when Emer met Mary comedy. For fun, she says she would McCague and Aisling Ennis just after probably go see a live comedian completing her Masters in Opera. rather than a music act, because "I "We're all from classical backgrounds can't switch off fully if there is music but we really enjoyed playing around involved!" with different styles and creating a new sound. You can't do that in Her love of comedy was sparked by - you play it the way playing the role of Serpina in "La it's written! But there is more Serva Padrona" and watching Anna flexibility in . Moffo perform the role in YouTube Whether that's a good thing or not is videos. "She was dazzlingly funny!"

often the subject of debate depending Instagram for her "corridor struts" on who you're talking to!" wearing beautiful ball gowns, she says, "You know, I think perfection From the business side of things, can be so tempting and in this new Emer has this advice to offer other world of filters and face apps, it's very artists seeking team members for their achievable! But it's not real. I think if career: "I book the best people, you ever find yourself avoiding regardless of price. I want to looking in the bathroom mirror surround myself with as much talent because it doesn't come with a filter, as I can in the hope that some of it it's time to take a step back! Every so rubs off. So, I guess I'd say, don't be often I make myself post a non- afraid to invest in yourself, money filtered, no make selfie, just to shouldn't stand in the way of maintain balance in my producing art you can be proud of. newsfeed...and my life!" In her video Reach out to people you admire but for “Never Enough” and in a section don't be offended if they don't reply or of another video, “The Voice” Emer don't want to work with you - nobody appears with a natural, not-made-up owes you anything in this industry face. "Being an artist is all about and being offended is just energy you allowing yourself to be vulnerable can redirect somewhere else! I have and never sacrificing the emotion in often reached out to be people and search of perfection so I wanted that gotten nowhere, only to have them video (and my social media sites) to contact me at a later date because reflect that. Besides, real, imperfect they have liked my latest work. Just people are super interesting!" She keep creating and working and also says, "My Dad had a saying 'The improving and be grateful for every mind develops as the body decays'. I achievement however small. Big fan feel the same about music. It only gets of gratitude here!" better the more you work at it so if people focus too much on their Like many singers, Emer is no appearance instead of their music, stranger to stage fright - experiencing they're investing in the wrong thing!" up to a week of nerves before a big Later on, however, she added performance. However, she says, "I jokingly, "My Music Video creator find if I do some yoga, practice wanted me to wear no make-up for a meditation, and warm my voice up section of the Wuthering Heights gently every day I do ok." video also and put grease and dirt on my face to echo Cathy's Emer has a relaxed approach to the desperation...it was just a step too far high glamour of the classical for me!" crossover genre. Though known on

Emer's motto is, "Let the emotion in There are no signs of Emer slowing the song be louder than the sound of down as she continues to perform and your voice." She hopes her fans feel record. "I will be releasing a new uplifted after seeing her in concert or single early next year with a very listening to her albums, but between lovely crossover singer from the UK the two, she says, "I whose name I can't actually think live reveal yet but the track performances are is already recorded! slightly different to And I'm currently albums. For a live “Let the working on a new album performance I like which is all about to chat with the celebrating my rebirth audience and create emotion in the as a singer and as a a relaxed person. It'll be much atmosphere and if I song be louder more commercial than can make them my previous album laugh, that's a than the sound which was an ode to my bonus! For albums, classical background I always think of of your voice” but I'm really taking my people popping the time with this one and CD into the car and I'm really excited by the listening while shape it's taking! I'm driving so I like to keep the music also writing some music for the album both evocative and relaxing." which is something new, there are lots of exciting things happening!"

Emerbarry.com affinitimusic.com

Concert reviews with john harvey Emily Haig Stepping Into The Light The Pheasantry Pizza Express – 12 August 2019

‘The Pheasantry’ in Kings Road, special. If you book early enough (I Chelsea is one of my favorite venues. usually do) you can ask for a small Seating is at tables (well, it is a table immediately in front of the stage restaurant after all) set around a (performers regularly place their central low stage, giving a drinks on these tables to be within wonderfully intimate atmosphere with easy reach) but even the most distant a chance for performers and audiences is probably no more than about 30 to interact in a way that is quite feet (9m) away from the stage.

Thus, one Monday evening in early I wrote down the first line “What’s a August, I found myself in a prime lady like me” intending to look it up position with coincidentally (or later to discover the title. It turns out maybe not) two friends at the tables the title of this song by Murray Grand either side of me, comfortably is, in fact, the same as first line. satisfied after a bowl of delicious Emily successfully navigated the Pollo Pesto staircase (not and eagerly the easiest of anticipating feats, I am Emily told, in a Haig’s long tight grand dress and entrance. heels) to Emily had reach the already stage during been the song, and through a followed up little earlier with the in her somewhat curlers (the more only way from the dressing room to familiar ‘Broadway Baby’. the ‘facilities’ is through the restaurant – I did say it is an intimate We then turned to the world of opera, venue, didn’t I?) and said hello. with ‘Habanera’ from Carmen. A more familiar song perhaps, but there The dressing room at The Peasantry is was no sense of complacency in the behind and above the stage with a energy and sensuality which Emily grand sweeping staircase connecting brought to the performance. the two. As the appointed time approached, David Harvey (no Two numbers relation as far as I know) descended were next – ‘Unexpected Song’ and the staircase, sat at the Steinway and ‘Love Never Dies’, both beautifully began to play as the lights came up. sung with feeling. We were back to Emily made her appearance at the more traditional opera for the two balcony at the top of the stairs and Puccini arias which followed – launched into a powerful Broadway- style number – which was new to me.

a playful ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’, and before a delightful Trip to the Library the intense ‘Vissi d’arte’ from Tosca. – ‘She Loves Me’. On to Bernstein’s Candide for the All good things must come to an end, spectacular ‘Glitter and be Gay’, but as the concert drew towards its powerfully performed by Emily conclusion we were brought to a high encompassing the whole gamut of with a wonderful rendition of ‘Never emotions. Emily doesn’t just sing a Enough’ from The Greatest song – she lives it. Showman, and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ from . The next few songs from the world of Broadway are perhaps less frequently You should never leave things on two performed in a classical crossover Nevers, and sure enough the standing context but were nonetheless ovation and shouts of “More!” welcome as I love to hear different brought the hoped-for response with music. These were ‘You Don’t Know an encore of ‘Orange Colored Sky’. this Man’ from Parade, Gypsy Rose All in all, it was a fantastic evening Lee’s ‘Some People’, and Kurt with a wonderfully varied selection of Weill’s ‘What Good Would the Moon music from opera and musical theatre. Be’ from Street Scene. There were enough familiar classics Perhaps the highlight of the evening to leave the audience with that warm for me was Gershwin’s comfortable feeling, but some unusual ‘Summertime’. I could feel the and even unknown songs to make you goosebumps rising on the back of my sit up and take notice. Emily sings it neck as Emily’s voice glided all with such passion – living every sensually through the high notes. line. Emily is definitely an artist worth making an effort to see. If you A little light relief came with can catch her singing an anthem at a ‘Popular’ from Wicked, before sporting event, that’s great, but if you turning on the emotions again for get that rare opportunity to attend a ‘With You’ from Ghost the Musical. full-on Emily Haig concert then I ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ suggest you grab it with both hands. brought us back to safer ground

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