Longings of the heart
Charlotte Church's voice dances into this compilation of
songs with exuberance as she sings of anticipation. Her
voice mingles with a huge orchestral accompaniment. She
then floats on to Carrickfergus where
she wishes she could swim over the deep ocean to a castle
to find her love. She laments she has no wings to fly. In
my opinion, the Carrickfergus song is the best on the CD
as the words are so poetic and filled with longing. It is
a Celtic masterpiece!
Suddenly you are transported to Spain in Habanera,
as a subtle energy embraces you with sensuality and smooth
seductive tones. To my absolute delight guitarist Jesse
Cook makes his appearance.
Bali Ha'i sends
shivers over your body as if a fairy had sprinkled magic
dust into the air. It is an exotic song of love, and how
we are all really living on a lonely island in the middle
of a foggy sea, longing for another island where we would
like to be. You feel almost lulled into a haunting trance
as she sings: "If you try you will find me where the
sky meets the sea." Pure Magic.
Papa Can You Hear Me
seems to roll like a life moving forward seeking to return
to childhood, but knowing it can never be again. Surely
God steals away from heaven to hear Charlotte sing this
song.
The Flower Duet is
an echo of ecstasy which can memorize you into a
thoughtless existence, then it flows nicely into The
Little Horses, a vibrant lullaby.
From My First Moment
is spectacular in every way and embodies the concept of
cherishment. The souls longing to dance on earth with
other souls or to be sweetly and indulgently loved. It
embodies the purest essence of the human soul.
The Water is Wide
is a song in which words from the heart reach across the
miles when you cannot be with your true love. Words become
the wings of the soul and two souls dance above the
turbulent sea, somehow meeting in the air. It is filled
with longing as most of the songs are. The next two songs
are lighter and fun as the music almost seems to burst
into laughter.
If I Loved You is a
classic and speaks of a girl who wonders about how it
would be to be in love. What would she say, what would she
want her love to know? It is intensely beautiful and she
imagines herself going in circles, longing to tell how she
feels yet shy. She fears she would let her golden chances
pass her by.
A Bit of Earth seems
to speak of hope. Seeds planted growing to beautiful
flowers. It is a comforting song with a sad note because
even flowers die. Somewhere follows and tells of a time
for everything.
The Prayer is one
of the most beautiful songs ever written. There is a sense
throughout the entire CD of a longing for a more beautiful
life filled with love.
This is perhaps the most beautiful CD I now own. My
only complaint was that the lyrics were not included.
However it was fun to read what Charlotte was feeling at
the time of the recording.
Charlotte Church's voice is
Intoxicating!
~The Rebecca Review
Charlotte Church - Voice of an Angel in...
Opera Spice's First Solo Concert, February 20,
2003
Charlotte's voice is even more spectacular when she is
singing in concert. And who could not love a singer who
introduces her Teddy Bear to the audience? It was so cute
and made you realize how young she actually was when she
sang at her first solo concert. Here she takes center
stage for the first time, makes jokes that the audience
loves and declares that various songs are of unknown
origin.
She is quite the personality and I had to just laugh
when she declared that the Men of Harlech were looking so
"posh" in their matching suits.
By watching her in concert you will be able to see the
contrast between her teenage personality and her angelic
and almost adult presence when singing for an audience. It
is as if an angelic force pervades her very being. She
could be as ancient an angel as one who first sang for God
at the beginning of time.
Within her is a beautiful soul which radiates
throughout her being when she is on a stage. I noticed how
while practicing her songs she seems much more shy, but
she comes alive completely onstage. There are times when
she does seem under the spell of her own voice.
Not only does Charlotte take on some complex songs for
her age, she sings each song as if she has always known
these songs. In fact, she started singing at a very young
age and has a very musical family. The beauty of her voice
has the power to bring
a grown man to tears.
Songs in this Concert which are also from the Voice of
an Angel CD include:
Panis Angelicus
The Lord's Prayer
Mae Hiraeth yri y Mor
In Trutina
Pie Jesu
Danny Boy
My Lagan Love
Suo-Gan
Y Gylfinir
When at Night I Go to Sleep
In this DVD, you get to see behind-the-scenes footage
and glimpses of her life. Everyone in her life seems to
just come alive in a new way when they are around her. It
is as if the light in her being also flows to everyone
around her.
Of course, she was also a very young Welsh schoolgirl
at the time who was known to pout and have disagreements
with her mom. She is very human and yet has been blessed
with an amazing talent. We forget all about how human she
is when hearing her sing her signature tune, Pie Jesu.
Especially while surrounded by candles and an amazing
orchestral accompaniment. The sheer confidence everyone
places in Charlotte was part of what impressed me.
Part of the beauty of her voice is the innocence. She
is truly a natural. In a way, it is unfair to compare her
to anyone else. She is unique. This is a child who took
charge of her own future at a very early age. In this DVD
you will see how she actually started her career by her
own actions. It is not her mother pushing her, but rather
encouraging her to be the best she can be. They show
Charlotte and her mother laughing and it does seem they
have a very good relationship.
"I was watching Richard and Judy and they said
they were looking for talented kids. 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!" -Charlotte Church
I look forward to seeing her acting in the 2003 release
of "I'll be There," which is a comedy. She
actually made her acting debut in the UK TV drama
'Heartbeat'.
Charlotte's biggest ambition is to sing in her favorite
opera - Madame Butterfly -at La Scala in Milan. You know,
this Welsh soprano might just do it one day. After all,
she has already had a concert at The Megaron in Athens.
At 17, she has seen so much success. I can only imagine
a wonderful future for this motivated young star. She was
born Feb. 21, 1986.
Also look for:
Charlotte Church - Enchantment (From Cardiff, Wales)
(2001)
Charlotte Church - In Jerusalem (2001)
Dream a Dream: Charlotte Church in the Holy Land (2000)
Christmas Glory from Westminster (2000)
Charlotte Church: Prelude - The Best of Charlotte Church
(2002)
Enchantment
Voice of an Angel
I'll be There CD
Voice of an Angel Audiobook
Voice of an Angel: My Life (So Far)
Sometimes in this world where
we live with tragedy and sorrow day after day, God does
something miraculous. He gives us a Charlotte Church.
~The Rebecca Review
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Pure Beauty
