Classical Crossover: The audience is always right.

The contemporary classical artist is reminiscent of a morph figure from the classic TV shows of the 1980's. No we aren't made out of clay, but we are moulded with every performance we give. A scenario often presents itself where we are not asked what we know but what we will be performing. Ultimately this means a piece is not necessarily classical, but sung in such a way, hence the term 'crossover'.

Performing at many occasions, I always ask if there are any specific pieces of music from the organisers/ family etc. These people are the employer but also the audience, you cater for their needs within reason to your own vocal capabilities. Any notion that you rock up to a gig and say this is what I shall be performing is a fallacy. Classical musicians aren't demanding, they are in fact musical chameleons.

What is exciting about being termed a classical crossover artist in today's climate, is the endless variety. Not in performers so much perhaps, but in music. Anything is possible. If I am asked to sing an arrangement of 'Diamonds Are Forever', then I can, in exactly the same vein as when I am asked to sing Lascia Ch‚Äôio Pianga from Handel‚Äôs Rinaldo. Both happen to sit well with a female lyric mezzo voice, but also it crosses genres, smashes constraints. Everyone has 'that' song that perhaps they heard when they were eight years old and have loved ever since (don't pretend that doesn't apply to you!). This is the song will spring to mind when someone asks you do you have a particular piece of music you want to hear, it could be classical but more than likely probably not, but that‚Äôs fine.

Joy Division? Dusty Springfield? Yes, you name it, every well known artist it seems, will have a vocal or orchestral arrangement of their most successful songs performed and recorded by a classical artist. This is something which over a period of ten years has become a phenomenon. With every phenomenon though it has a marmite like quality, the haters going to hate AKA ‚Äòthe purists‚Äô, where as others can‚Äôt get enough of a song turned on its head and sung in Italian. It is totally understandable, when one particular song gets too much exposure and covered too often as is the case of Dolly Parton‚Äôs I will Always Love You (sung by Whitney Houston), that a backlash arises. On the whole though, this is an audience pleaser of a song, that when covered by a classical artist whether by voice or cello, it stuns.

A sense of duty to an audience and limitless music boundaries will evolve even more in the next decade, but for now, I am proud to say, with the classical genre the sky is the limit.