Alfie Boe
Encyclopedia
Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, known professionally initially as Alf or Alfred Boe and now as Alfie Boe, (born September 29, 1973), is an English
tenor
.
, Lancashire
, and brought up in nearby Fleetwood. He attended St Wulstan's and St Edmund's School and Cardinal Allen Roman Catholic High School in Fleetwood. His earliest musical memories were of listening to his father's Richard Tauber
records and at the age of 11 he discovered Puccini's La bohème
for the first time.
Alfie's first public performance, aged 14, was at Fleetwood's Marine Hall in a "Songs from the Shows" presentation organised by inspirational local singing teacher Lottie Dawson. He states that although he sang only a couple of lines he was extremely nervous.
At the age of 17, Boe became an apprentice mechanic at the TVR factory in Bispham, Blackpool
. He enjoyed entertaining his colleagues by singing opera arias while he polished the cars, and one day was overheard by a client with connections in the music industry who was so impressed, he suggested Boe should go to London
and audition for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
. His audition was a success and he gave up polishing cars to embark on a singing career.
Boe has never been able to trace the customer who suggested he go for the audition, having lost the man's business card
.
, the National Opera Studio
and the Royal Opera House
's Vilar Young Artists Programme. In 1999 and 2000, he was featured as the "opera dude" on albums by The Clint Boon Experience
, led by the former organist of the Inspiral Carpets
. In 1999 he sang Ernesto for Scottish Opera in their Opera-Go-Round production of Don Pasquale
, touring widely throughout Scotland.
Baz Luhrmann
, who had spent two years looking for the lead for his Broadway
production of La bohème
, approached Boe for the role. Boe subsequently appeared (credited as Alfred Boe) on the 2002 Broadway Cast Recording released by Bazmark Live Pty Ltd.
In 2006, Boe was signed to the Classic FM
Presents label as their first signing in a new venture for the radio station and his album, Classic FM Presents Alfie Boe reached number three in the UK classical chart
. In November 2006 he was signed to the EMI Classics
label and his first album on that label, Onward, was released in March 2007.
Boe toured the United Kingdom
with the Fron Male Voice Choir in February 2007 and took part in the first Classic FM webcast
concert with soprano Natasha Marsh
in March. The same month he was appointed as an ambassador of The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation
, a British educational charity working to inspire and educate children by introducing them to the arts. Boe's role being to bring music, and opera in particular for those children involved.
In April, he starred alongside Lesley Garrett
and Willard White
in the ITV
Music of Morse concert at the Royal Albert Hall
. He was also nominated for a Classical BRIT
for Best Album, missing out to Paul McCartney
at the ceremony on May 3, 2007.
He also performed alongside Michael Ball
in the English National Opera
production of Kismet
. His live performance of the song "Stranger in Paradise
" from Kismet on the Michael Parkinson
show was released as a digital download single on June 25, 2007. In August he realised an ambition to record an album of Neopolitan songs which was released in November under the title La Passione. On August 24, 2007 he performed at the Arundel Festival alongside Natasha Marsh. On October 19, 2007 he performed at Canterbury Cathedral
during the Canterbury Festival
. He also performed at the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall
on November 10, 2007.
On January 31, 2008 he performed at the Pleasure Beach Arena, Blackpool
to over 1,600 local children, in a special Music Quest concert to help introduce the classics to a new generation and to celebrate the end of the Music Quest three year project which was sponsored by The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation and Classic FM MusicMakers.
On October 3, 2010 Boe took on the role of Jean Valjean
in a concert performance of the musical Les Misérables
at the O2 Arena
in London to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show, released on DVD
and Blu-ray Disc. The concert encore performance of "Bring Him Home", credited as "The Valjean Quartet" — Boe alongside Colm Wilkinson
, John Owen-Jones
and Simon Bowman
(each of whom has portrayed Valjean in various theatrical productions) — was re-recorded at the Abbey Road Studios
and released as a charity CD single and digital download on December 13, 2010. On December 16, 2010, Boe once again performed as Valjean in the Royal Variety Performance
(in front of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall) singing "What Have I Done?", and also "Bring Him Home" again alongside Wilkinson, Owen-Jones and Bowman.
In January 2011, Boe performed for English National Opera
in La bohème
and The Mikado
. Boe later performed concerts in Idaho
, U.S.A. in March. In April, Boe appeared in The Great British Musical — The Famous and the Future at the Criterion Theatre
and the St George's Day
celebration concert in Trafalgar Square
. In May, Boe went on to perform at the Classical BRIT Awards
ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall
, in the Isle of Man
, and then headlined the Hampton Court Palace Festival
finale on June 18, 2011.
He currently appears as Jean Valjean
in Les Misérables
at the Queen's Theatre
, London, and will continue to do so until November 26, 2011. During his run as Valjean, Boe appeared in the "Les Misérables v Lend Me a Tenor Battle of the Tenors" at Soho
's Winnett St, London on July 13, 2011. In August, Boe performed with the National Symphony Orchestra
at Beau Sejour and Gloucester Hall.
Boe is set to appear in the BBC
Last Night of the Proms concert at the Caird Hall
on September 10, 2011, and The Llanelli Choral Society's Grand Performance Concert at Tabernacle Chapel
on September 24, 2011. Boe will also begin the "Alfie Boe 'Bring Him Home' U.K. Concert Tour" in Bristol on December 6, 2011, finishing in Gateshead Sage on February 4, 2012.
In October 2011 Boe announced that he would be appearing in the Lytham Proms Festival Weekend on August 4, 2012. Tickets went on sale on October 14, 2011. The Festival is held in the town on Lytham close to his home town of Lytham St Annes
. The local newspaper Blackpool Gazette
describes his concert as a 'homecoming' using the title 'Bring HIM Home'.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
.
Background
Boe, the youngest in a family of 9 children, was born in BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and brought up in nearby Fleetwood. He attended St Wulstan's and St Edmund's School and Cardinal Allen Roman Catholic High School in Fleetwood. His earliest musical memories were of listening to his father's Richard Tauber
Richard Tauber
Richard Tauber was an Austrian tenor acclaimed as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Some critics commented that "his heart felt every word he sang".-Early life:...
records and at the age of 11 he discovered Puccini's La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
for the first time.
Alfie's first public performance, aged 14, was at Fleetwood's Marine Hall in a "Songs from the Shows" presentation organised by inspirational local singing teacher Lottie Dawson. He states that although he sang only a couple of lines he was extremely nervous.
At the age of 17, Boe became an apprentice mechanic at the TVR factory in Bispham, Blackpool
Bispham, Blackpool
Bispham is a village roughly one-and-a-half miles north of Blackpool town centre on the Fylde coast in the county of Lancashire, England.-Geography and administration:...
. He enjoyed entertaining his colleagues by singing opera arias while he polished the cars, and one day was overheard by a client with connections in the music industry who was so impressed, he suggested Boe should go to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and audition for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
. His audition was a success and he gave up polishing cars to embark on a singing career.
Boe has never been able to trace the customer who suggested he go for the audition, having lost the man's business card
Business card
Business cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. A business card typically includes the giver's name, company affiliation and contact information such as street addresses, telephone...
.
Singing career
Boe moved to London and studied singing at the Royal College of MusicRoyal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, the National Opera Studio
National Opera Studio
The National Opera Studio in London, England was established by the Arts Council as a link between the music colleges and the six main UK opera companies. It was resident at Morley College in Lambeth until 2003, when it gained use for the first time of its own dedicated premises in Chapel Yard,...
and the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
's Vilar Young Artists Programme. In 1999 and 2000, he was featured as the "opera dude" on albums by The Clint Boon Experience
The Clint Boon Experience
The Clint Boon Experience, also known as CBX, are an English alternative rock band formed by Clint Boon after Inspiral Carpets disbanded in the mid 1990s...
, led by the former organist of the Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets are an alternative rock band from Oldham in Greater Manchester, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. The band is named after a clothing shop on their Oldham estate...
. In 1999 he sang Ernesto for Scottish Opera in their Opera-Go-Round production of Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The librettist Giovanni Ruffini wrote the Italian language libretto after Angelo Anelli's libretto for Stefano Pavesi's Ser Marcantonio ....
, touring widely throughout Scotland.
Baz Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
, who had spent two years looking for the lead for his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
, approached Boe for the role. Boe subsequently appeared (credited as Alfred Boe) on the 2002 Broadway Cast Recording released by Bazmark Live Pty Ltd.
In 2006, Boe was signed to the Classic FM
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
Presents label as their first signing in a new venture for the radio station and his album, Classic FM Presents Alfie Boe reached number three in the UK classical chart
UK classical chart
The UK Classical Charts are three record charts based on classical music in the United Kingdom: the Classical Artist Albums Chart, the Classical Compilation Albums Chart and the Specialist Classical Albums Chart...
. In November 2006 he was signed to the EMI Classics
EMI Classics
EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases....
label and his first album on that label, Onward, was released in March 2007.
Boe toured the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with the Fron Male Voice Choir in February 2007 and took part in the first Classic FM webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
concert with soprano Natasha Marsh
Natasha Marsh
Natasha Jane Marsh is a Welsh operatic soprano. A highly-regarded performer in both opera and oratorio, her debut album, Amour, topped the classical album charts in 2007. She has toured with artists such as G4, Russell Watson, Il Divo and Paul Potts...
in March. The same month he was appointed as an ambassador of The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation
The Prince's Charities
The Prince's Charities is a group of twenty not-for-profit organisations of which HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron or President, eighteen of which were founded personally by The Prince. The group is supported by The Prince's Charities Foundation....
, a British educational charity working to inspire and educate children by introducing them to the arts. Boe's role being to bring music, and opera in particular for those children involved.
In April, he starred alongside Lesley Garrett
Lesley Garrett
Lesley Garrett CBE is an English musician, broadcaster and media personality.- Early life :Garrett was born in the town of Thorne near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, into a musical family. She attended Thorne Grammar School, where she performed in school plays and musicals. As she grew up she...
and Willard White
Willard White
Sir Willard Wentworth White, OM, CBE is a Jamaican-born British bass-baritone.-Early life:He was born into a poor but supportive Jamaican family in Kingston. His father was a dockworker, his mother a housewife. White first began to learn music by listening to the radio and singing Nat King Cole...
in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Music of Morse concert at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. He was also nominated for a Classical BRIT
Classical Brit Awards
The Classic BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of classical music, and are the classical equivalent of pop music's BRIT Awards....
for Best Album, missing out to Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
at the ceremony on May 3, 2007.
He also performed alongside Michael Ball
Michael Ball (singer)
Michael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
in the English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
production of Kismet
Kismet (musical)
Kismet is a musical with lyrics and musical adaptation by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Alexander Borodin, and a book by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis, based on Kismet, the 1911 play by Edward Knoblock...
. His live performance of the song "Stranger in Paradise
Stranger in Paradise (song)
"Stranger in Paradise" is a popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet and is credited to Robert Wright and George Forrest. Like all the music in that show, the melody was based on music composed by Alexander Borodin, in this case, the "Gliding Dance of the Maidens," from the Polovtsian...
" from Kismet on the Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
show was released as a digital download single on June 25, 2007. In August he realised an ambition to record an album of Neopolitan songs which was released in November under the title La Passione. On August 24, 2007 he performed at the Arundel Festival alongside Natasha Marsh. On October 19, 2007 he performed at Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
during the Canterbury Festival
Canterbury Festival
The Canterbury Festival is Kent's international festival of the arts. It takes place in Canterbury and surrounding towns and villages each October and includes performances of a variety of types of music, ranging from Opera and Oratorio to art, comedy and theatre...
. He also performed at the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
on November 10, 2007.
On January 31, 2008 he performed at the Pleasure Beach Arena, Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
to over 1,600 local children, in a special Music Quest concert to help introduce the classics to a new generation and to celebrate the end of the Music Quest three year project which was sponsored by The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation and Classic FM MusicMakers.
On October 3, 2010 Boe took on the role of Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
in a concert performance of the musical Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
at the O2 Arena
O2 arena
O2 Arena may refer to:*The O2 Arena the arena within the O2 in London.*The O2 , an entertainment complex built within the former Millennium Dome, North Greenwich, that contains the arena.*O2 World in Berlin*O2 World in Hamburg...
in London to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show, released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray Disc. The concert encore performance of "Bring Him Home", credited as "The Valjean Quartet" — Boe alongside Colm Wilkinson
Colm Wilkinson
Colm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
, John Owen-Jones
John Owen-Jones
John Owen-Jones is a British musical theatre actor, best known for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's Les Misérables and of The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd-Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. He most recently appeared as Valjean on the 25th Anniversary Tour of...
and Simon Bowman
Simon Bowman
Simon Bowman is a British actor and singer, born in, Cardiff and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for creating the role of Chris, opposite Lea Salonga's Kim, in the original production of Miss Saigon at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End.Prior to that, he was Marius in...
(each of whom has portrayed Valjean in various theatrical productions) — was re-recorded at the Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
and released as a charity CD single and digital download on December 13, 2010. On December 16, 2010, Boe once again performed as Valjean in the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
(in front of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall) singing "What Have I Done?", and also "Bring Him Home" again alongside Wilkinson, Owen-Jones and Bowman.
In January 2011, Boe performed for English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
in La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
and The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
. Boe later performed concerts in Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, U.S.A. in March. In April, Boe appeared in The Great British Musical — The Famous and the Future at the Criterion Theatre
Criterion Theatre
The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has an official capacity of 588.-Building the theatre:...
and the St George's Day
St George's Day
St George's Day is celebrated by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. St George's Day is celebrated on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in AD 303...
celebration concert in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
. In May, Boe went on to perform at the Classical BRIT Awards
Classical Brit Awards
The Classic BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of classical music, and are the classical equivalent of pop music's BRIT Awards....
ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, and then headlined the Hampton Court Palace Festival
Hampton Court Palace Festival
The Hampton Court Palace Festival is an annual musical event held in June which was established in 1993. The Festival is known for presenting artists across the music genres such as Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, Tom Jones, Andrea Bocelli, Van Morrison, Jools Holland, the Buena Vista Social Club,...
finale on June 18, 2011.
He currently appears as Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
in Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
at the Queen's Theatre
Queen's Theatre
The Queen's Theatre is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It opened on 8 October 1907 as a twin to the neighbouring Gielgud Theatre which opened ten months earlier. Both theatres were designed by W.G.R...
, London, and will continue to do so until November 26, 2011. During his run as Valjean, Boe appeared in the "Les Misérables v Lend Me a Tenor Battle of the Tenors" at Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
's Winnett St, London on July 13, 2011. In August, Boe performed with the National Symphony Orchestra
National Symphony Orchestra
The National Symphony Orchestra , founded in 1931, is an American symphony orchestra that performs at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.-History:...
at Beau Sejour and Gloucester Hall.
Boe is set to appear in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Last Night of the Proms concert at the Caird Hall
Caird Hall
The Caird Hall is the principal concert auditorium in Dundee, Scotland.Built between 1914 and 1923 and named after its benefactor, the jute baron James Key Caird, the Caird Hall regularly hosts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra....
on September 10, 2011, and The Llanelli Choral Society's Grand Performance Concert at Tabernacle Chapel
Tabernacle Chapel
Tabernacle Chapel may refer to:*Tabernacle Chapel, Morriston, a Grade I listed structure*Tabernacle Chapel, Aberystwyth...
on September 24, 2011. Boe will also begin the "Alfie Boe 'Bring Him Home' U.K. Concert Tour" in Bristol on December 6, 2011, finishing in Gateshead Sage on February 4, 2012.
In October 2011 Boe announced that he would be appearing in the Lytham Proms Festival Weekend on August 4, 2012. Tickets went on sale on October 14, 2011. The Festival is held in the town on Lytham close to his home town of Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St-Anne's-on-the-Sea have grown together and now form a seaside resort...
. The local newspaper Blackpool Gazette
Blackpool Gazette
The Blackpool Gazette is an English evening newspaper based in Blackpool, Lancashire. Published every day except Sunday, it covers the towns and communities of the Fylde coast...
describes his concert as a 'homecoming' using the title 'Bring HIM Home'.
Personal Life
Boe moved from England to America to start a show by Baz Lurman. He then moved back to England in 2010. Boe has a wife called Sarah, who is an actress he met whilst in America. They have one daughter called Grace who was born on the 9th May 2008.Solo Recordings
- Classic FM Presents Alfie Boe (Classic FM, 2006 / Reissued with alternate cover photo, Universal Music, 2008 / Reissued with alternate title "The Sound Of Alfie Boe" as HMV Exclusive on Decca, UK, Feb 2011)
- Onward" (Physical CD contains 12 tracks - some Digital Download versions feature an additional track "Where'er You Walk (from Semele)" - EMI Classics, 2007)
- A Living Prayer (Radio Edit) / Abide With Me (EMI Classics, 2007 - digital download single)
- Stranger In Paradise (Live On Parkinson) / You'll Never Walk Alone (EMI Classics, 2007 - digital download single)
- Live At Abbey Road - The Napster Sessions (Napster exclusive 4-Track Digital Download includes 3 live songs from "La Passione" and a cover of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" - EMI Classics, 2007)
- La Passione (Physical CD contains 15 tracks - some Digital Download versions feature an additional track "Lolita". Another track "La Paloma" recorded but not issued. EMI Classics, 2007)
- Franz Lehár: Love Was A Dream (Linn Records, 2009 / Reissued as "Love Was A Dream" with new artwork on Decca, July 2011)
- Bring Him Home (Studio Version, credited as The Valjean Quartet — Alfie Boe, Simon Bowman, John Owen-Jones and Colm Wilkinson - Cameron Mackintosh Limited, 2010 - CD/Digital Download Charity Single)
- Bring Him Home (Includes duets with Kerry Ellis & Matt Lucas - Decca Records, December 2010)
- You'll Never Walk Alone - The Collection 16-Song compilation CD features 6 songs not included on Alfie's solo CD albums - 2 songs from Eternal Light, plus "Where'er You Walk", "Brindisi", "Abide With Me", & "Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna". (EMI Classics, March 21, 2011)
- Alfie" - 15 new recordings, includes tracks featuring Michael Ball & Robert Plant (Decca Records, October 31, 2011)
Also Appears On
- The Compact Guide to Pop Music and Space TravelThe Compact Guide to Pop Music and Space TravelThe Compact Guide to Pop Music and Space Travel is the debut album by The Clint Boon Experience, which is the band formed by Inspiral Carpets organist Clint Boon in the late nineties...
(The Clint Boon Experience! aka CBX! - guest appearance on two tracks: "Comet Theme Number One" & "Only One Way I Can Go" - credited as Alf Boe: Opera Vocal - Artful Records, 1999) - "Gilbert & Sullivan: HMS Pinafore - The 1999 D'Oyly Carte Cast Complete Dialogue & Songs Recording" (Performing the role of Ralph Rackstraw, credited as Alfred Boe - 2-CD, TER, 2000 - Reissued 2008)
- Life in TransitionLife in TransitionLife in Transition is the second album by The Clint Boon Experience, which is the band formed by Clint Boon in the late nineties.-Track listing:#"This Is The Sound"#"Life In Transition"#"Climbing Back Inside The Dream"#"Cool Vacation"...
(The Clint Boon Experience! aka CBX! - guest appearance on four tracks: "This Is The Sound", "Life In Transition", "17 & Over!" & "In Chaos I See" - credited as Alf Boe: Opera Vocal - Artful Records, 2000) - "The Most Happy Fella - First Complete Recording - Studio Cast" (3-CD Box Set - appears on 6 tracks, performing the role of Giuseppe, credited as Alfred Boe. Recorded 1997-1999 - JAY, 2000 - Reissued on TER, 2010)
- "Verdi: Aida - The 2002 Opera In English Recording" (2-CD Box Set - appears on 2 tracks in the role of "A Messenger" - credited as Alfred Boe - Chandos "Opera In English", 2002)
- "La Bohème - The 2002 Broadway Cast Recording" (credited as Alfred Boe - Bazmark Live Pty Ltd., 2002)
- "Barry Banks Sings Bel Canto Arias" (Alfred Boe as Pilades duets on "Palace Of Horrors! - Ah, How Can I Hide The Flames" from Rossini's "Ermione", Recorded September 2001 - Chandos "Opera In English", 2004)
- "Sleigh Ride" (Alfred Boe appears on 2 tracks: "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" & "O Holy Night" - The Boston Pops Orchestra - Conducted By Keith Lockhart, Artemis Classics, 2004)
- "Myleene’s Music For Romance" (Myleene Klass - 2-CD Compilation features previously unreleased Alfie Boe track "Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna" written by Donovan from the Zeffirelli film "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" - EMI Classics, 2007)
- "Elizabeth Marvelly" (Self-titled debut CD features Alfie Boe duet on "Stranger In Paradise" - EMI, 2007)
- Howard Goodall, Eternal Light: A Requiem (tenor soloist on 4 tracks, with Natasha Marsh; Christopher Maltman; Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford; London Musici; and Stephen Darlington; EMI Classics, 2008)
- "Natasha Marsh" (Self-titled CD featuring Alfie Boe duet on "Brindisi" (La Traviata) - EMI Classics, 2008)
- "Pride Of The Nation" (The Band Of The Coldstream Guards, CD featuring Alfie Boe on "Jerusalem" (Parry, arr. Eyton) - Decca CD/DVD + Digital Download, March 28, 2011)
- "Downton Abbey" (Original Music From The Television Series - Alfie sings 2 tracks "If You Were The Only Girl In The World" & "Roses Of Picardy") - Decca CD + Digital Download, September 19, 2011)
- "First Night" (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Alfie sings 1 solo "Un' aura amorosa", 1 duet "Volgi a me (Fra gli amplessi)" and appears on 1 ensemble track "Fortunato - Act II Finale", all from Mozart's "Così fan tutte" - SONY Classical CD + Digital Download, October 17, 2011)
- "Summon The Heroes" (The Band Of H.M. Royal Marines - Alfie sings 1 solo "Over The Hills And Far Away" - Decca CD + Digital Download, November 14, 2011)
Albums
| Title | Album details | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
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| Onward |
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72 |
| La Passione |
EMI Records EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide... |
83 |
| Bring Him Home Bring Him Home (Alfie Boe album) Bring Him Home is a studio album by Alfie Boe released on 27 December 2010 by Decca Records.- Track listing :-Chart Performance:The album peaked at number 9 on the UK Albums Chart. This is Boe's most successful album so far, and is his first top ten hit.... |
Decca Records Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades.... |
9 |
| La Passione | 122 | |
| Alfie |
Decca Records Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades.... |
6 |