The Universe 6th May 2016

u • MUSIC 06 FRIDAY 06.05.16
The Music Scene
Celebration by Katherine Jenkins
The Nation’s sweetheart, Katherine
Jenkins OBE has released her eagerly
anticipated new album, which pays
tribute to Her Majesty The Queen on
her 90th birthday.
Celebration, released by Decca
Records, contains a patriotic collection
of tracks honouring the Queen on
such an important milestone in both
her reign and her life, including Someone
to Watch Over Me, which was the
most popular song in the year the
Queen was born. There is also a full
‘‘
I believe my dad is
somewhere doing
something nice. I feel I’ve
been too lucky to travel
this far without somebody
guiding me.
uMusic
By Nick Benson
rendition of the national anthem in its
rarely heard three-verse form. Jenkins
is also due to perform, by request, at
the Queen’s birthday celebrations at
Windsor Castle in May, and will be giving
her own celebratory concert at the
Royal Albert Hall in June.
Jenkins, who works closely with a
number of charities, is also donating
her album advance to The Queen
Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. She
is a trustee of The Invictus Foundation,
Care After Combat and British
Forces Foundation, having travelled
to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Cyprus
and Northern Ireland to entertain
the troops.
© David Venni
Cherished as one of Britain’s
favourite singers, the Welsh mezzo
soprano has achieved meteoric success
as the world’s most prolific classical
crossover artist, with her ten
studio albums selling in excess of
eight millions copies and going platinum
around the world.
Jenkins has received numerous accolades
for her recordings, including
two Classical BRITS for the coveted
Album of the Year Award. In 2013 she
headlined the Queen’s Coronation
Festival at Buckingham Palace and
was awarded an OBE at the 2014
New Year’s Honours List for her services
to music and charity. She has
also cemented her position as one of
the UK’s greatest musical exports
and, in 2013, toured South Africa, the
US, China, Abu Dhabi and Europe.
The popular classical-crossover
singer has now returned following her
tenth studio album, Home Sweet
Home, in 2014. The album, which, just
like all of her other releases, was dedicated
to the memory of
her father, saw Jenkins
make a move from her
previous label over to
Decca Records.
Jenkins lost her father,
Selwyn Jenkins, to cancer
when she was only 15-
years-old. He spotted the
talent of his eldest daughter
and encouraged her in
her singing, which, following
his death, saw Jenkins
decide to continue her
path to success, not only
for herself but also in dedication
to her father.
Jenkins, a Christian, previously
told The Guardian that she believes
in heaven. “I believe my dad is somewhere
doing something nice. I feel
I’ve been too lucky to travel this far
without somebody guiding me.”
Home Sweet Home, which reflected
on the coming together of
Jenkins’ private and professional life,
saw her revisit her classical roots. At
the time, Jenkins also admitted that
she was in a happy place, after becoming
an aunt, receiving an OBE
and getting engaged and then married,
and thought the mood was reflected
in her album.
As well as her current record paying
tribute to the Queen’s significant
birthday, Celebration marks a further
milestone in Jenkins’ own life, being
her first album since the birth of her
daughter, Aaliyah Reign Levitas.
The album opens with the poignant
song, This Mother’s Heart, a track
commissioned by Jenkins as a gift to
the Queen, in which she sings about
a mother’s unconditional love.
The album also includes Jenkins’
rendition of the Welsh national anthem,
Land of My Fathers, in her native
tongue while also honouring her
country with the popular hymn Cwm
Rhondda, which is taken from the
Welsh name for Rhondda Valley and
is often known by the title Bread
Of Heaven.
© David Venni
The patriotism flows with Jenkins’
passionate showing in the incredible
hymn Jerusalem, the touching I Vow
To Thee My Country, which has
been associated with Remembrance
Day services across the Commonwealth
of Nations, the proud Rule
Britannia, which is strongly associated
with the Royal Navy and also
used by the British Army, and of
course, the national anthem; the
aforementioned three-verse God
Save The Queen, as well as the oneverse
version.
Jenkins’ faith also plays a major
part in the collection, with a number
of religious tracks, including a
thrilling rendition of Amazing Grace,
as well as How Great Thou Art,
which was voted the nation’s
favourite hymn, Sanctus and children’s
favourite, All Things Bright
And Beautiful.
Jenkins also pays homage to the
late David Bowie in a stunning cover
performance of one of the Starman’s
most loved tracks, Heroes, and gives
an inspirational nod to rugby fans
with the inclusion of the Rugby World
Cup theme, World In Union. She
also sings a phenomenal version of
You’ll Never Walk Alone, a show
tune from the 1945 Rogers and Hammerstein
musical Carousel that is
now associated with football clubs
Liverpool FC and Celtic.
Jenkins also joins the timeless
voice of Vera Lynn for the nostalgic
wartime classic, We’ll Meet Again.
It is incredibly difficult to choose a
stand out, or a favourite, track from
such a vast array of spectacular
songs, however, the fragile, breathtaking
and highly emotional Abide
With Me truly radiates Jenkins’ mesmerising
pure talent.
Celebration is a joyous collection
of the greatest music from the UK,
combining seven new recordings with
13 favourites selected by Jenkins from
her hit recordings, and is a heartwarming
tribute from the Nation’s
sweetheart to the Nation’s Queen.