Composer: Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber

Historical Background: "The Music of the Night" is a song from the musical "The Phantom of the Opera". It is one of Broadway's most famous songs. This popular song has sold millions of copies worldwide and has been translated into many different languages. The song was made famous by Michael Crawford, the actor who originated the role of the Phantom both in London and on Broadway.

Christina: This piece is by far one of the most crucial, not only because it is the title of the album but because it creates the continuous theme which runs throughout each song. This beautiful, lyrical piece is perhaps the one I am most fond of. The melodic lines are simple yet effective and achieve a real sense of emotion. The frequent change in registers throughout the piece give it character, yet it still sustains legato lines resulting in the whole piece being very fluid.

Composer: Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber

Historical Background: "Memory" is the anthem of Lloyd-Webber’s longest running show, "Cats". Since the show first opened on the West End stage in 1981, it has become one of the world's best known and best loved musicals. Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber is a highly successful British composer of musical theatre. He has arguably been the most popular theatre composer of the late 20th century.

Christina:  Lloyd-Webber's piece creates beautiful melodic lines interspersed with frequent changes in register. The lyrics are perhaps my favourite feature, they enable the performer to create a real sense of passion and emotion which can then be transferred onto the audience. I feel this is perhaps one of my most powerful pieces; I tried to capture the same atmosphere and emotion that Elaine Paige once did when she famously performed this piece in the West End. I hope I did the piece justice!

Composer: Giordani

Historical Background: "Caro mio ben", composed by Giuseppe Giordani (1743 – 1798), is sometimes wrongly attributed to Tommaso Giordani. It was popularised in London by the Italian castrato soprano, Gasparo Pacchierotti. Giordani was born in Naples and enjoyed a long career as an opera composer; the thirty or more operas that he wrote are largely forgotten, but he is known to all singers for this particular aria, regarded as a staple element in vocal training. This aria, like many of the baroque and early classical periods, is known not from its original operatic source, but from publication in a collection edited by Parisotti and published in the late 19th century. This collection quickly became a common source for recital music.

Christina: I chose to sing "Caro mio ben" because of its long, graceful phrases with many changes in dynamics allowing you to display breath control and tone. The words are very simple, as in many of the baroque arias: “My dearest treasure, at least believe me, my life is lost if you depart. Dearest of all, come back to me, be not so cruel.”

Composer:  Dvořák

Historical Background: Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841 - 1904) was a Czech composer of Romantic music. He employed the idioms and melodies of the folk-music of his native Bohemia in symphonic and chamber music. "Rusalka" was the ninth of Dvořák’s ten operas and the central one of the three on which he concentrated during the last five years of his life. Whereas many of Dvořák’s earlier operas had been hampered by mediocre librettos, he immediately recognised the superior quality of this one with its engaging mixture of folk and lyrical elements and completed the score in just seven months. The premiere at the Prague National Theatre on the 31st March 1901 was a resounding triumph and since then "Rusalka" has remained the most successful of Dvořák’s operas.

Christina: The piece is performed by the character Rusalka where she prays to the moon to tell the Prince that she is waiting for him. This is a piece of great intimacy and beauty, it has a deep, melodic poignancy that is memorable to all listeners. I chose this piece because of its stunning chorus and high register. The piece can be likened to that of a fairy-tale, it is lyrical and full of passion. Dvořák's piece is a work of pure genius!

Composer: Holst

Historical Background: In 1915 Gustav Holst composed one of his best-known works, "The Planets", a suite of seven tone poems for large orchestra. Cecil Spring-Rice appended a text to the fourth movement of the work known by its full title as  "Jupiter - The Bringer of Jollity". After its first performance in September 1918, it firmly established itself as the nation's favourite patriotic hymn. It has long been a staple piece of British school assemblies.

Christina: This is probably my favourite hymn of all time. It has played an important part in my school life having sung it in various concerts and weekly assemblies. The chordal progressions throughout the piece are beautiful and helped me portray a real sense of feeling. In my opinion, this piece is timeless; in some way or another it has meaning for everyone and I know will always have a place in people's hearts.

Composer: David Foster & Carole Bayer Sager

Historical Background: "The Prayer" won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song from the "Quest for Camelot" film in 1999. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999 and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2000. Celine Dion performed it with Andrea Bocelli at both ceremonies.

Christina: I wanted to record this track because I felt I could achieve a classical slant on this popular song. It is again a very lyrical and beautiful piece which uses a mixture of both English and Italian words to retain the interest of the listener. The change in registers at the beginning meant that some of the lower notes were a challenge to me. Nevertheless, this made me more determined to succeed and sing the piece to the best of my ability. Like all the other tracks on the album, "The Prayer" portrays great emotion both through the lyrics and melody and I am extremely pleased with this classical adaptation of a more popular song.

Composer: Fauré

Historical Background: This piece comes from the 4th movement of Fauré's beautiful Requiem Mass, originally scored for Soprano Solo, Organ and Strings. This exquisite piece makes a very fitting organ voluntary for funeral and memorial services. Gabriel Fauré composed his Requiem in D minor, Op. 48 between 1877 and 1890. The "Pie Jesu" is the most famous movement from the Requiem Mass. Camille Saint-Saëns said once, "Just as Mozart's is the only Ave Verum Corpus, this is the only Pie Jesu."

Christina: I was given a real incentive to record this piece as it was a piece that I had once missed the opportunity to sing in a "Prestige Concert with Voices and Strings" at Wells Cathedral. I wanted to finally fullfil my missed opportunity and place my own stamp on Fauré's masterpiece. The purpose of this track is to show versatility and technical ability. The legato lines are within a high register with very quiet dynamic markings, these long phrases make breath control and sustained tonal quality challenging. I hope that I have a performed this piece with the precision and elegance that it deserves.

Composer: Sir Leonard Bernstein

Historical Background: "West Side Story" is one of the greatest musicals of all time. Composer Sir Leonard Bernstein easily matches the very best of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals with songs such as "Maria", "Tonight" and "Somewhere", but the inclusion of gang music with an edge and terrific latin numbers with orchestral interludes brings the whole experience to a level which has never been exceeded.

Christina: Besides the fact that I am a huge fan of "West Side Story", the purpose of this piece is to provide balance and diversity within the album. This track has the fastest tempo on the album and is perhaps the simplest. I decided to echo the original by adding a tempo change in the second verse, I felt that this added more interest and gave the piece more character. Even though this is a shortened version with just two verses, the lyrics really tell a story and capture an audience. I hope that you enjoy it!

Composer: Puccini

Historical Background: Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924) was an Italian composer whose operas, including "La Bohème", "Tosca", and "Madama Butterfly", are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire. Some of his melodies, such as "O Mio Babbino Caro" from Gianni Schicchi and "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot, have become part of modern culture. Puccini was one of the few operatic composers to successfully use both German and Italian techniques of opera. Puccini is loved among opera-goers above all others.

Christina:  “O Mio Babbino Caro” has recently become one of the most well known opera pieces of all time. Its beautiful melody, with frequent visits to top A flats, along with its long, flowing phrases are what make it so popular. “O Mio Babbino Caro” means "Oh my beloved father" the piece tells the story of a daughter (Lauretta) asking for her father’s (Gianni Schicchi) consent to be married. This lyrical aria portrays Lauretta’s torture and torment of possibly being parted with the one she loves. (Rinuccio) The slow tempo of this piece allows the singer to communicate to the audience all the emotions that Lauretta experiences.

Composer:  Sir Hubert Parry

Historical Background: The music to Blake’s words was composed by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916 specifically for a meeting of the “Fight for the Right” Women’s Suffrage Movement. In the final stages of the Women's Campaign, he conducted a performance at the Royal Albert Hall, which is when it became known as "Jerusalem".

Christina: I have a real personal attachment to this piece which is why I chose to record it. As well as this, it is another national favourite and like "I Vow to Thee, My Country" it has that familiarity factor along with meaning that can be applied to everyone. This track takes me back to all my memories of school and singing it in Wells Cathedral on Monday mornings. It is a strong and powerful hymn which should be sung with pride and confidence; I hope I have achieved this!

Composer:  Sir Leonard Bernstein

Historical Background: This fairly famous tune from the musical "West Side Story" conveys the beauty and emotional power of Bernstein's music. The song involves Maria and Tony imagining a new world where they can love each other. P. J. Proby, Len Barry, and Barbara Streisand each had hit singles with versions of this song. 

Christina: My version of this gorgeous "West Side Story" hit is again of a classical nature. I have tried to capture the love story within this piece through the beautiful lyrics and legato lines. The variation in dynamics between each chorus help to convey the range of emotions that both Maria and Tony are feeling. This song is a timeless piece of love and passion; I believe that it is relevant to everyone.

Composer: Ben Moody, Amy Lee & David Hodges

Historical Background: "My Immortal" is a beautiful and moving song by Evanescence. It is from their album "Fallen" and many versions of it have been released to date including the album version, a rock version, and a band version. It was featured in the film 'Daredevil' and is perhaps one of the band's most popular and well known songs.

Christina: This is perhaps one of my most interesting and original song choices for this album. Originally performed by the rock group Evanescence, it is a genre which couldn't be further away from my own. This made me more determined to adapt the original to my own style and I hope I have created a track like no other. I learnt a great deal from rehearsing and learning this piece. It is amazing how we underestimate the talent and complexity which is injected into pop and rock ballads. "My Immortal" is full of difficult cross-rhythms and syncopation. The tonality of this piece has also been cleverly executed with changes from B major to D sharp minor throughout. The lyrics capture a deeply moving atmosphere and it is a piece which I hope will achieve a wider audience.

Composer: Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber

Historical Background: Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber is the major British force in the modern musical. "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from "The Phantom of the Opera", appears at the beiginning of the second act, where Christine is afraid of the Phantom and visits her father's grave to try to make sense of the situation. She wishes her father were there to help her make the right choice.

Christina: All the Lloyd-Webber tracks on my album have one distinguishable feature: the frequent change in registers. This piece is no exception. Again, like many of the other tracks, it is a piece which tells a deep and meaningful story and which touches many people who have experienced a tragedy at some point within their lives. It has a familiar melody to many people and is a piece which I love to sing.

Composer: Sartori & Quarantotto

Historical Background: "Con te partirò" (literally meaning "with you I will go") is an Italian operatic pop song written by Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto. It was first sung by Andrea Bocelli at the 1995 "San Remo Festival" and is considered Bocelli's signature song. The song achieved widespread success with a second version sung partly in English, pairing Bocelli with soprano Sarah Brightman, released as "Time to Say Goodbye". Since its release, the song has spawned numerous other versions and been performed by numerous other singers.

Christina: This piece has been sung by many professional classical singers as well as some up and coming classical artists. When there have been so many versions of this song recorded it is hard to create a unique sound and place an original slant on the music. Like "The Prayer" I adore the interspersion of English and Italian and the variation between the quick tempo verses and the long, legato choruses. These features retain interest and create variation. For obvious reasons I have placed this piece last; I hope it seals my album with a cross-section of emotions and illustrates my true passion for singing.