Faryl Smith
Encyclopedia
Faryl Smith is a British teen mezzo-soprano
who rose to fame after auditioning for the second series of the ITV
television talent show Britain's Got Talent
in 2008. She received praise throughout the competition, and although she was the favourite to win after the second round, she finished outside the top three in the live final on 31 May. During the competition, she received singing lessons from Yvie Burnett
and received offers from various record labels. After the show, she, unlike other finalists, did not sign with Simon Cowell
's Syco
, although she did appear on fellow finalist Andrew Johnston
's debut album, One Voice
.
Smith signed a contract with Universal Classics and Jazz
for a £2.3 million advance in December 2008, the largest ever granted to a schoolgirl. Her debut album, Faryl
, was recorded in December 2008 and January 2009, and was released in March 2009. Faryl became the fastest selling solo classical album in British chart history, selling 29,200 copies in the first week. It debuted at number six, but rose to number 4 in the following week, making Smith the third Britain's Got Talent contestant to have a top ten album. Smith was nominated for two Classical BRIT Awards
in 2010 due to Faryl, and became the youngest artist to ever receive a double nomination.
Smith's second album, Wonderland
, was released in November 2009. A concept album based on Alice in Wonderland, the album was well received by critics, but was not successful in the charts. In addition to her albums, she featured on a charity version of "The Prayer", released in March 2010, and has performed at numerous events, including the 2009 Royal Variety Performance
. Smith lives with her parents in Kettering, where she attends Southfield School for Girls.
of the ITV
reality show Britain's Got Talent
, giving what Jon O'Brien, of Allmusic, called a "mature" performance of "Ave Maria
", and was put through to the live shows. Simon Cowell
described her audition as "the best audition I've heard in years". Before performing live, she and Andrew Johnston
were favourites to win. She won her semi-final, performing a cover of Sarah McLachlan
's "Angel
", by the public vote. This placed her into the final, and left her as the favourite to win. During her first live show, Cowell described her as "literally one in a million". She then performed in the live final, where she was described by Cowell as one of the five acts (along with George Sampson
, Johnston, Signature
and Kate and Gin
) who had a chance of winning. She again performed "Ave Maria", but finished outside the top three. Sampson eventually won the show as a result of the call in, with Signature second, and Johnston third. As a result of her final performance of "Ave Maria", Smith was invited to be a guest singer at a songwriting awards ceremony in London. She then went on to perform in the Britain's Got Talent Live Tour with the other semi-finalists, where she first performed her duet of "Walking in the Air" with Johnston.
While she was competing in Britain's Got Talent, Cowell arranged for Smith to receive free singing lessons from leading vocal coach Yvie Burnett
. Burnett previously coached 2007 Britains Got Talent winner Paul Potts
and 2006 The X Factor
winner Leona Lewis
. During her participation in the competition, Smith was offered record deals, but she and her family turned them down. Her father, Tony Smith, said "We have had offers from people interested in Faryl. But when Simon Cowell, the big man, says your daughter is special, you listen." Cowell described Smith's potential career during the show, saying "I know she says Katherine [Jenkins]
is her idol but she is far better than her. She is by far the most talented youngster I've ever heard. When she opens her mouth her voice is just incredible."
, speaking for Simon Cowell, said that it was "quite possible" that Cowell would be signing some of the finalists, including Smith. Though she did not sign with Syco
, she did record a duet of "Walking in the Air" with Johnston, which appeared on his debut album, One Voice
, and was tipped as a potential Christmas number-one. Before the release of One Voice, it was revealed that Smith and her father, Tony Smith, were finalising the details of her record deal. Tony Smith said "we're dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's at the moment to make sure she's protected in every way. She is our baby at the end of the day – she's in great demand and we want to do it our way. " In November, it was announced that Smith would be performing on stage in Kettering with her tutor, Sylvia Berryman. Smith said that she was "really looking forward to singing locally again and performing with my singing teacher", and it was again reported that it was hoped Smith would soon sign her own record deal.
In December 2008 the Daily Mail
reported that Smith had signed a £2.3 million, multi-album deal with Universal Music Group
that was the "most lucrative recording contract ever handed to a schoolgirl". Smith said "I'm honoured to be joining such a fantastic record company, especially since it's where [Jenkins] started." Dickon Stainer, speaking on behalf of Universal, said "as soon as we saw Faryl, it became an ambition to sign her." Universal claimed it intended to market Smith as a pop star. After signing with Universal, Smith performed at the Royal Albert Hall
with Jenkins for the press. Neil Fisher, writing for The Times
, described Smith as "heir apparent" to Jenkins, who first met her when she won a competition in Wales. By 2009 Jenkins was acting as Smith's mentor.
In January 2009 plans were released for Smith to perform with Placido Domingo
. The idea was suggested by him. In an interview with the Metro
, Smith talked about her future plans, insisting that she did not wish to be dubbed as the next Charlotte Church
. She later said that "In the papers, it sounded like I was snobby when I said 'I don't want to be like Charlotte Church', but I didn't mean it like that." She has also spoken of her desire to appear in films on top of her musical career. She said "Films and movies are something I'd really like to do. I've always wanted to act so doing a film would be amazing. It's something I really want to do."
"music now has words put to it. I like it because it's different. Everyone knows the tune and everybody has got high hopes for it." Smith said that her favourite song on the album was her version of the Welsh hymn, "Calon Lân
". Other songs include Smith's version of "Amazing Grace
", a cover of "Annie's Song
" by John Denver
, and a version of "The Way Old Friends Do", rewritten for Smith by Björn Ulvaeus
. Smith spoke about the song, saying "It was about divorce ... They didn't think it was appropriate for me to sing about that, so Björn changed the lyrics so it's about friendship." The album was produced by Jon Cohen, who has previously worked with artists including the Operababes and Vanessa Mae.
Promotion began in January, with performances at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and appearances at the debut of 2009 London revival of Oliver!. Smith also took part in a photoshoot for publicity and cover photos. Smith's father, Tony, said "at the moment we're promoting the album and making sure we're in the right places at the right time." A television advert and music video for "River of Light" were recorded to further publicise the release, and Smith appeared on the cover of April's Classic FM Magazine
. More promotional appearances in the weeks leading up to the release of Faryl included Loose Women
, The Paul O'Grady Show
, BBC Radio 4
, Radio Five Live and BBC Breakfast
. She also appeared at the Children's Champion Awards and met Gordon Brown
at 10 Downing Street
. On the day of the release, there was an album signing in Smith's hometown of Kettering
, at the HMV
branch. Smith said "I definitely want to be at home for the launch. I want to be surrounded by my friends and family because obviously, it's a big deal for me."
Pete Paphides, writing for The Times, said that the songs were performed "with power and restraint", and that the "arrangements by Jon Cohen suggest some kind of aesthetic endeavour beyond the basic thing for which they exist". He compared it favourably to three other Mothering Sunday
releases: Lionel Richie
's Just Go
, Ronan Keating
's Songs for My Mother
and Barry Manilow
's The Greatest Songs of the Eighties
. He awarded Faryl 3 out of a possible 5, the highest rating of the four. Retailers in the United Kingdom ordered more than 80,000 copies of the album in the week leading up to release, which Simon Cable, writing for the Daily Mail, noted was more copies than U2
s recent No Line on the Horizon. It also topped the Amazon.co.uk presale chart. On the day of the release the album was at the number one spot on the UK Albums Chart
, based on presales alone. The album became the fastest selling classical solo album in British history, selling 20,000 copies in the first four days. The previous record holder had been Hayley Westernra's Pure
. The first week resulted in sales of 29,200 copies, which is higher than any other debut album of a classical singer. Faryl officially entered the charts at number six, and rose to fourth place the next week. Faryl made Smith the third former Britain's Got Talent contestant to achieve a top ten album, after Potts (with One Chance) and Johnston (with One Voice).
In April 2009 Smith travelled to Los Angeles to begin her promotion of Faryl in the United States. She appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
in early May as part of her promotional tour. Faryl was released in the US on 5 May. Smith said before the release that she did not expect it to sell as well as it did in the UK. She said that "in the US it's a lot harder because I'm not as well-known. In the UK, a lot of people obviously watched 'Britain's Got Talent' and stuff, and that was like fresh in everyone's minds." Smith travelled back to the UK in early May, and, on 23 May, Faryl peaked at 31st place on Top Heatseekers
Albums chart, and at sixth place on the Classical Albums chart, remaining in the charts for one and 17 weeks respectively. After her return from the US, Smith opened the 2009 Classical BRIT Awards
, where she, according to Elisa Roche of the Daily Express
, "captivated the best names in classical music". She is the youngest performer ever to sing at the Classical BRITs. On 30 May, Smith became the youngest person to sing the United Kingdom national anthem
, "God Save The Queen
", at an FA Cup
final when she performed during the opening ceremony at the 2009 final
, held in the Wembley Stadium
. In July, Smith attended the O2 Silver Clef Awards, where she won the Classical Award.
In February 2010, after the release of Smith's second album, Faryl was nominated for a Classical BRIT Award
in the album category. The category is voted for by the public, and the shortlist comprises the ten best-selling classical albums of the previous year. Faryl lost to Only Men Aloud's Band of Brothers
. Smith also lost in the young British classical performer category to Jack Liebeck
, a violinist. Smith became the youngest artist ever to receive a double nomination.
, London, was completed in early October, and is loosely based on Lewis Carroll
's Alice in Wonderland. Tony Smith said that the bosses at Universal were "hoping it will sell more than the first but it's a tough market. Lots of people bring out albums at Christmas". In mid-November, Smith was awarded the best classical award at the 2009 Variety Club awards, the youngest ever recipient in the awards' 57-year history. Wonderland was released on 30 November. To publicise the album, Smith appeared on numerous radio shows, as well as television appearances including Ready Steady Cook
, Blue Peter
, the BBC News Channel, The Alan Titchmarsh Show
and Sky News Sunrise.
Wonderland was well received by critics; Paul Callan, reviewing the album for the Daily Express, described it as "a joy". He compared it to other Christmas albums, saying that "[t]oo many are tired, much-repeated carol selections." He described Smith's "control, tone and warmth" as "very moving". Andy Gill, reviewing Wonderland for The Independent
, gave a less positive review. He said that the influence of Alice in Wonderland was often hard to perceive, and said that Cohen and Smith had "sweetened the classical elements". However, he praised the arrangements of "Adiemus", "Barcarolle", "Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence" and "Blow The Wind Southerly", but noted that on tracks including "Close To You", "the lack of emotional weight is telling." Overall, Gill gave Wonderland 3 out of 5. However, the album failed to perform as well as Faryl, appearing on the top 75 of the UK Albums Chart for only one week, and peaked at 54th place.
Smith performed at the 2009 Royal Variety Performance
in front of Queen Elizabeth II, where she sang "God Save the Queen" with The Soldiers
. She later said that the experience, including subsequently meeting the Queen, as her highlight of the year. Smith also performed elsewhere with The Soldiers, including at St Paul's Cathedral
and Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.
, Smith and 22 other classical musicians from the UK recorded a cover version of "The Prayer", which was released for download on 14 March. The proceeds of the single went to the Disasters Emergency Committee
. Smith said "It's a real honour to be a part of something that is being done for the first time, and I hope that all music lovers get involved and help raise money for the campaign. I really hope that we can make a difference together to help the horrible situation that Haiti is in at the moment." The group, dubbed "Classical Band Aid
", recorded the track at Metropolis Studios and were backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
. Each vocalist in the group performed their own solo lines, and the entire group came together for the finale. "The Prayer" was the first ever classical charity single; Smith noted that "Pop singers do things like this a lot but it's unusual for classical singers to get involved so I've been really excited."
In the summer of 2010 Smith performed at various festivals and events. Her father noted that "because she is still so young, we don't want her doing complete shows on her own and we don't want her doing too much." Appearances included the Mercedes-Benz World Summer Concert in Weybridge
on 4 July, That Glorious Noise charity concert in aid of muscular dystrophy
in Cleethorpes
on 17 July and the Last Night of the Kenwood Proms on 21 August, as well as the wedding of Eamonn Holmes
and Ruth Langsford
. Smith also opened the Serenata festival, Britain's first ever classical music festival. Angela Young, reviewing the festival for the Bournemouth Daily Echo
, said "Faryl Smith was my personal highlight of the Thursday night line-up, her bizarrely powerful voice (considering her diminutive size and age) taking my breath away and it contrasted so well with her naivete as she said 'at least it's not raining' – just as the heavens opened."
In October Smith performed for the first time in Ireland, at the National Concert Hall
, Dublin. She continued to perform publicly throughout 2011. In May, she performed at a Help for Heroes
charity concert, which raised £2,000, and in June, she performed in a concert to celebrate the 90th year of the Royal British Legion. She again appeared at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in July, were she sang with Russell Watson
. Smith's father described the appearance as "like a homecoming", due to her previous appearance at the competition.
, on 23 July 1995. She originally attended Henry Gotch Primary School in Kettering and is now a student at Southfield School for Girls, although she receives private tutoring while working. She completed her GCSEs in 2011, and now intends to study for A levels and then go to university. Smith enjoys playing football; she played for the Kettering Generals Under-11s girls' team when they reached the Weetabix
League cup final, and also played for the club's Under-13 girls IX. She attends a theatre club, plays the guitar and piano and sings in two choirs, including the Masquerade Youth Choir. Smith lives with her father Tony, a former health and safety manager who now works full-time overseeing Smith's activities, her mother Linda, a hairdresser and her older brother Shea, who is training as a plumber.
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
who rose to fame after auditioning for the second series of 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...
television talent show Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
in 2008. She received praise throughout the competition, and although she was the favourite to win after the second round, she finished outside the top three in the live final on 31 May. During the competition, she received singing lessons from Yvie Burnett
Yvie Burnett
Yvie Burnett , is a Scottish mezzosoprano singer and vocal coach, best known for her work with Simon Cowell on television shows The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent.-Education:...
and received offers from various record labels. After the show, she, unlike other finalists, did not sign with Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
's Syco
Syco
Syco Entertainment, often known as simply Syco , is a global joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment focused on the production and exploitation of music, television, film and digital content...
, although she did appear on fellow finalist Andrew Johnston
Andrew Johnston (singer)
Andrew Johnston is a British singer who rose to fame when he appeared as a boy soprano on the second series of the British television talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2008. Although he did not win the series, he received a contract to record on the SyCo Music label owned by the Britain's Got...
's debut album, One Voice
One Voice (Andrew Johnston album)
One Voice is the debut album by British boy soprano Andrew Johnston, who rose to fame in 2008 after his appearance on the second series of Britain's Got Talent. The album was released on 29 September 2008 by Syco Music, Britain's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell's record label...
.
Smith signed a contract with Universal Classics and Jazz
Universal Classics and Jazz
Universal Classics and Jazz is the name of two record label divisions of the Universal Music Group.- UCJ Germany :Universal Music Classics & Jazz is a division of Universal Music Germany and is marketed under websites called Klassik Akzente and Jazz Echo.- UCJ Japan :This Universal Music Japan...
for a £2.3 million advance in December 2008, the largest ever granted to a schoolgirl. Her debut album, Faryl
Faryl
Faryl is the debut album by British mezzo-soprano Faryl Smith, released on 9 March 2009 by Universal Classics and Jazz. Smith rose to fame after her appearance on the second series of Britain's Got Talent, and signed with Universal after the competition...
, was recorded in December 2008 and January 2009, and was released in March 2009. Faryl became the fastest selling solo classical album in British chart history, selling 29,200 copies in the first week. It debuted at number six, but rose to number 4 in the following week, making Smith the third Britain's Got Talent contestant to have a top ten album. Smith was nominated for two 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....
in 2010 due to Faryl, and became the youngest artist to ever receive a double nomination.
Smith's second album, Wonderland
Wonderland (Faryl Smith album)
Wonderland is the second studio album by teenage mezzo-soprano Faryl Smith, released by Decca Records on 30 November 2009. Smith became famous after her participation in Britain's Got Talent in 2008, and subsequently, aged 13, signed with Universal Classics and Jazz, releasing her debut album, Faryl...
, was released in November 2009. A concept album based on Alice in Wonderland, the album was well received by critics, but was not successful in the charts. In addition to her albums, she featured on a charity version of "The Prayer", released in March 2010, and has performed at numerous events, including the 2009 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...
. Smith lives with her parents in Kettering, where she attends Southfield School for Girls.
Britain's Got Talent
Before her appearance on television, Smith had performed competitively in the Kettering, Northamptonshire Eisteddfod, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, the Pontins Junior Starquest competition and Festival 4 Stars. She auditioned for the second seriesBritain's Got Talent (Series 2)
The 2008 series of Britain's Got Talent was the second series of the show. Notable differences from the 2007 series the included the fact that the auditions visited Scotland and that there were 40 in the live semi-finals...
of 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...
reality show Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
, giving what Jon O'Brien, of Allmusic, called a "mature" performance of "Ave Maria
Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod)
The Bach/Gounod Ave Maria is a popular and much-recorded setting of the Latin text Ave Maria.Written by French Romantic composer Charles Gounod in 1859, his Ave Maria consists of a melody superimposed over the Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 846, from Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier, written by...
", and was put through to the live shows. Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
described her audition as "the best audition I've heard in years". Before performing live, she and Andrew Johnston
Andrew Johnston (singer)
Andrew Johnston is a British singer who rose to fame when he appeared as a boy soprano on the second series of the British television talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2008. Although he did not win the series, he received a contract to record on the SyCo Music label owned by the Britain's Got...
were favourites to win. She won her semi-final, performing a cover of Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
's "Angel
Angel (Sarah McLachlan song)
"Angel" is a song by Sarah McLachlan that originally appeared on her 1997 album Surfacing. As McLachlan explained on VH1 Storytellers, the song is about the Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin, who overdosed on heroin and died in 1996."Angel" was McLachlan's second top 5 hits...
", by the public vote. This placed her into the final, and left her as the favourite to win. During her first live show, Cowell described her as "literally one in a million". She then performed in the live final, where she was described by Cowell as one of the five acts (along with George Sampson
George Sampson
George Jennifer Sampson is a street dancer and actor from Warrington, England. He won the second series of Britain's Got Talent on 31 May 2008 at the age of 14.-2007 series:...
, Johnston, Signature
Signature (dance group)
Signature are an English dance group which consists of British Pakistani Suleman Mirza and British Indian Madhu Singh. Their notable style of dance is British Bhangra and they frequently base their performances around Michael Jackson songs, such as "Billie Jean" and "Thriller"...
and Kate and Gin
Kate and Gin
Kate and Gin are a musical canine freestyle act consisting of Kate Nicholas, from Norbury, Cheshire and her dancing Border Collie, 6 year old Gin. The two achieved fame following their 2008 appearances on the second series of ITV1 talent show, Britain's Got Talent. Since the show, the duo have...
) who had a chance of winning. She again performed "Ave Maria", but finished outside the top three. Sampson eventually won the show as a result of the call in, with Signature second, and Johnston third. As a result of her final performance of "Ave Maria", Smith was invited to be a guest singer at a songwriting awards ceremony in London. She then went on to perform in the Britain's Got Talent Live Tour with the other semi-finalists, where she first performed her duet of "Walking in the Air" with Johnston.
Yvie Burnett
Yvie Burnett , is a Scottish mezzosoprano singer and vocal coach, best known for her work with Simon Cowell on television shows The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent.-Education:...
. Burnett previously coached 2007 Britains Got Talent winner Paul Potts
Paul Potts
Paul Robert Potts is an English pop opera tenor who won the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2007, singing an operatic aria, "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot". As a singer of operatic music, Potts recorded the album One Chance, which went to #1 in nine countries...
and 2006 The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
winner Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
. During her participation in the competition, Smith was offered record deals, but she and her family turned them down. Her father, Tony Smith, said "We have had offers from people interested in Faryl. But when Simon Cowell, the big man, says your daughter is special, you listen." Cowell described Smith's potential career during the show, saying "I know she says Katherine [Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
is her idol but she is far better than her. She is by far the most talented youngster I've ever heard. When she opens her mouth her voice is just incredible."
Record deal
The day after the Britain's Got Talent finals, Max CliffordMax Clifford
Maxwell Frank Clifford is an English publicist, considered the highest-profile and best-known publicist in the United Kingdom...
, speaking for Simon Cowell, said that it was "quite possible" that Cowell would be signing some of the finalists, including Smith. Though she did not sign with Syco
Syco
Syco Entertainment, often known as simply Syco , is a global joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment focused on the production and exploitation of music, television, film and digital content...
, she did record a duet of "Walking in the Air" with Johnston, which appeared on his debut album, One Voice
One Voice (Andrew Johnston album)
One Voice is the debut album by British boy soprano Andrew Johnston, who rose to fame in 2008 after his appearance on the second series of Britain's Got Talent. The album was released on 29 September 2008 by Syco Music, Britain's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell's record label...
, and was tipped as a potential Christmas number-one. Before the release of One Voice, it was revealed that Smith and her father, Tony Smith, were finalising the details of her record deal. Tony Smith said "
In December 2008 the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
reported that Smith had signed a £2.3 million, multi-album deal with Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
that was the "most lucrative recording contract ever handed to a schoolgirl". Smith said "I'm honoured to be joining such a fantastic record company, especially since it's where [Jenkins] started." Dickon Stainer, speaking on behalf of Universal, said "as soon as we saw Faryl, it became an ambition to sign her." Universal claimed it intended to market Smith as a pop star. After signing with Universal, Smith performed 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....
with Jenkins for the press. Neil Fisher, writing for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, described Smith as "heir apparent" to Jenkins, who first met her when she won a competition in Wales. By 2009 Jenkins was acting as Smith's mentor.
In January 2009 plans were released for Smith to perform with Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
. The idea was suggested by him. In an interview with the Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
, Smith talked about her future plans, insisting that she did not wish to be dubbed as the next Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
. She later said that "In the papers, it sounded like I was snobby when I said 'I don't want to be like Charlotte Church', but I didn't mean it like that." She has also spoken of her desire to appear in films on top of her musical career. She said "Films and movies are something I'd really like to do. I've always wanted to act so doing a film would be amazing. It's something I really want to do."
Faryl
Smith's first album, Faryl, was recorded at Air Studios, London, in December 2008, during Smith's Christmas holiday; it was completed on 3 January 2009. It features a 60 piece orchestra. Smith described the song "River of Light" by saying that The Blue DanubeThe Blue Danube
The Blue Danube is the common English title of An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 , a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866...
"music now has words put to it. I like it because it's different. Everyone knows the tune and everybody has got high hopes for it." Smith said that her favourite song on the album was her version of the Welsh hymn, "Calon Lân
Calon Lan
Calon Lân is a Welsh hymn, the words of which were written in the 19th century by Daniel James to a tune by John Hughes ....
". Other songs include Smith's version of "Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
", a cover of "Annie's Song
Annie's Song
"Annie's Song" is a rock/country song recorded and written by singer-songwriter John Denver. It was his second number-one song in the United States, occupying that spot for two weeks in July 1974. "Annie's Song" also went to number one on the Easy Listening chart...
" by John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
, and a version of "The Way Old Friends Do", rewritten for Smith by Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
. Smith spoke about the song, saying "It was about divorce ... They didn't think it was appropriate for me to sing about that, so Björn changed the lyrics so it's about friendship." The album was produced by Jon Cohen, who has previously worked with artists including the Operababes and Vanessa Mae.
Promotion began in January, with performances at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and appearances at the debut of 2009 London revival of Oliver!. Smith also took part in a photoshoot for publicity and cover photos. Smith's father, Tony, said "at the moment we're promoting the album and making sure we're in the right places at the right time." A television advert and music video for "River of Light" were recorded to further publicise the release, and Smith appeared on the cover of April's Classic FM Magazine
Classic FM Magazine
The Classic FM Magazine is a magazine published in the United Kingdom each month. It is the printed organ of Classic FM, a British classical commercial radio station. The magazine reviews classical recordings and live performances and often includes tracks from recent releases on its cover disk....
. More promotional appearances in the weeks leading up to the release of Faryl included Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
, The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
, BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, Radio Five Live and BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
. She also appeared at the Children's Champion Awards and met Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
at 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
. On the day of the release, there was an album signing in Smith's hometown of Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
, at the HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
branch. Smith said "I definitely want to be at home for the launch. I want to be surrounded by my friends and family because obviously, it's a big deal for me."
Pete Paphides, writing for The Times, said that the songs were performed "with power and restraint", and that the "arrangements by Jon Cohen suggest some kind of aesthetic endeavour beyond the basic thing for which they exist". He compared it favourably to three other Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday is a Christian festival celebrated throughout Europe that falls on the 4th Sunday in Lent. Secularly it became a celebration of motherhood. It is increasingly being called Mother's Day, although in countries other than the UK and Ireland that holiday has other origins...
releases: Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
's Just Go
Just Go (Lionel Richie album)
Just Go is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. The album was slated to be released in US on March 10, 2009, but was pushed back to May 19, 2009. In UK the album was released as scheduled on March 16, 2009. The International release date was March 13, 2009...
, Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
's Songs for My Mother
Songs For My Mother
Songs for My Mother is the fifth studio album released by Boyzone frontman and Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating. The album was released on March 16, 2009 on Polydor Records, and is his first album to be released since the reunion of Boyzone....
and Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
's The Greatest Songs of the Eighties
The Greatest Songs of the Eighties
The Greatest Songs of the Eighties is Barry Manilow's 38th album, and follow-up to his 2007 album, The Greatest Songs of the Seventies...
. He awarded Faryl 3 out of a possible 5, the highest rating of the four. Retailers in the United Kingdom ordered more than 80,000 copies of the album in the week leading up to release, which Simon Cable, writing for the Daily Mail, noted was more copies than U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
s recent No Line on the Horizon. It also topped the Amazon.co.uk presale chart. On the day of the release the album was at the number one spot on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, based on presales alone. The album became the fastest selling classical solo album in British history, selling 20,000 copies in the first four days. The previous record holder had been Hayley Westernra's Pure
Pure (Hayley Westenra album)
Pure is the first internationally published Album by Christchurch, New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra. Her previous albums were released only in New Zealand and nearby Australia. This album also received professional consultation from the legendary Sir George Martin who helped to create its...
. The first week resulted in sales of 29,200 copies, which is higher than any other debut album of a classical singer. Faryl officially entered the charts at number six, and rose to fourth place the next week. Faryl made Smith the third former Britain's Got Talent contestant to achieve a top ten album, after Potts (with One Chance) and Johnston (with One Voice).
In April 2009 Smith travelled to Los Angeles to begin her promotion of Faryl in the United States. She appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
in early May as part of her promotional tour. Faryl was released in the US on 5 May. Smith said before the release that she did not expect it to sell as well as it did in the UK. She said that "in the US it's a lot harder because I'm not as well-known. In the UK, a lot of people obviously watched 'Britain's Got Talent' and stuff, and that was like fresh in everyone's minds." Smith travelled back to the UK in early May, and, on 23 May, Faryl peaked at 31st place on Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
Albums chart, and at sixth place on the Classical Albums chart, remaining in the charts for one and 17 weeks respectively. After her return from the US, Smith opened the 2009 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....
, where she, according to Elisa Roche of the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
, "captivated the best names in classical music". She is the youngest performer ever to sing at the Classical BRITs. On 30 May, Smith became the youngest person to sing the United Kingdom national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
, "God Save The Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
", at an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final when she performed during the opening ceremony at the 2009 final
2009 FA Cup Final
The 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
, held in the Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. In July, Smith attended the O2 Silver Clef Awards, where she won the Classical Award.
In February 2010, after the release of Smith's second album, Faryl was nominated for a Classical BRIT Award
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....
in the album category. The category is voted for by the public, and the shortlist comprises the ten best-selling classical albums of the previous year. Faryl lost to Only Men Aloud's Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers (album)
Band of Brothers is the second studio album by the choir Only Men Aloud!. Unlike their self-titled debut, it featured several traditional Welsh songs, the album closing with a version of "Land Of My Fathers"...
. Smith also lost in the young British classical performer category to Jack Liebeck
Jack Liebeck
Jack Liebeck is a British violinist. In 2010, he won a Classical Brit in the young British classical performer category.-Film Scores:...
, a violinist. Smith became the youngest artist ever to receive a double nomination.
Wonderland
In July 2009 it was announced that Smith was hoping to release her second album later in 2009. In an interview, she expressed surprise and pleasure that the label wanted her to do another album so soon after the first. In September, further details about the album were released, including its name, Wonderland, and planned release date, 30 November. Smith claimed that Faryl "was an introduction to me and an introduction for me to recording", but Jon Cohen, the album's producer, claims Smith has "matured as an artist since the first album and I have no doubt that once again, people will be astonished and moved by her performances". The album, which was recorded at Sarm Studios in Notting HillNotting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, London, was completed in early October, and is loosely based on Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's Alice in Wonderland. Tony Smith said that the bosses at Universal were "hoping it will sell more than the first but it's a tough market. Lots of people bring out albums at Christmas". In mid-November, Smith was awarded the best classical award at the 2009 Variety Club awards, the youngest ever recipient in the awards' 57-year history. Wonderland was released on 30 November. To publicise the album, Smith appeared on numerous radio shows, as well as television appearances including Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook was a BBC daytime TV cooking programme it first debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last edition was broadcast on the 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott became the new host...
, Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, the BBC News Channel, The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.-Format:The programme made its debut on ITV in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot...
and Sky News Sunrise.
Wonderland was well received by critics; Paul Callan, reviewing the album for the Daily Express, described it as "a joy". He compared it to other Christmas albums, saying that "[t]oo many are tired, much-repeated carol selections." He described Smith's "control, tone and warmth" as "very moving". Andy Gill, reviewing Wonderland for The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, gave a less positive review. He said that the influence of Alice in Wonderland was often hard to perceive, and said that Cohen and Smith had "sweetened the classical elements". However, he praised the arrangements of "Adiemus", "Barcarolle", "Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence" and "Blow The Wind Southerly", but noted that on tracks including "Close To You", "the lack of emotional weight is telling." Overall, Gill gave Wonderland 3 out of 5. However, the album failed to perform as well as Faryl, appearing on the top 75 of the UK Albums Chart for only one week, and peaked at 54th place.
Smith performed at the 2009 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 Queen Elizabeth II, where she sang "God Save the Queen" with The Soldiers
The Soldiers
The Soldiers is a singing trio consisting of serving British Army soldiers, signed to CPW Productions Warner Bros. Records, whose debut album, Coming Home, was released on 26 October 2009. The trio consists of Ryan Idzi, Richie Maddocks and Gary Chilton. The Soldiers' first national interview was...
. She later said that the experience, including subsequently meeting the Queen, as her highlight of the year. Smith also performed elsewhere with The Soldiers, including at St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
and Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.
"The Prayer" and 2010s
In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
, Smith and 22 other classical musicians from the UK recorded a cover version of "The Prayer", which was released for download on 14 March. The proceeds of the single went to the Disasters Emergency Committee
Disasters Emergency Committee
The Disasters Emergency Committee is an umbrella group comprising fourteen UK charities. These charities are all associated with disaster related issues such as providing clean water, humanitarian aid and medical care....
. Smith said "It's a real honour to be a part of something that is being done for the first time, and I hope that all music lovers get involved and help raise money for the campaign. I really hope that we can make a difference together to help the horrible situation that Haiti is in at the moment." The group, dubbed "Classical Band Aid
Band Aid (band)
Band Aid was a charity supergroup featuring British and Irish musicians and recording artists. It was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year. The single...
", recorded the track at Metropolis Studios and were backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
. Each vocalist in the group performed their own solo lines, and the entire group came together for the finale. "The Prayer" was the first ever classical charity single; Smith noted that "Pop singers do things like this a lot but it's unusual for classical singers to get involved so I've been really excited."
In the summer of 2010 Smith performed at various festivals and events. Her father noted that "because she is still so young, we don't want her doing complete shows on her own and we don't want her doing too much." Appearances included the Mercedes-Benz World Summer Concert in Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
on 4 July, That Glorious Noise charity concert in aid of muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...
in Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
on 17 July and the Last Night of the Kenwood Proms on 21 August, as well as the wedding of Eamonn Holmes
Eamonn Holmes
Eamonn Holmes is an Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster. He is known for his work on UK and Irish television, notably presenting GMTV and This Morning. He is married to TV presenter Ruth Langsford.-Education:...
and Ruth Langsford
Ruth Langsford
Ruth Langsford is an English television presenter.Langsford began her career as a continuity announcer and newscaster with ITV regional station TSW in the South West of England...
. Smith also opened the Serenata festival, Britain's first ever classical music festival. Angela Young, reviewing the festival for the Bournemouth Daily Echo
Bournemouth Daily Echo
The Bournemouth Daily Echo, commonly known as the Daily Echo, is a local newspaper that covers the area of south-east Dorset, England, including the towns of Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch...
, said "Faryl Smith was my personal highlight of the Thursday night line-up, her bizarrely powerful voice (considering her diminutive size and age) taking my breath away and it contrasted so well with her naivete as she said 'at least it's not raining' – just as the heavens opened."
In October Smith performed for the first time in Ireland, at the National Concert Hall
National Concert Hall
The National Concert Hall is a concert hall located on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, Ireland, close to St. Stephen's Green, and is the principal national venue for classical music concerts in Ireland....
, Dublin. She continued to perform publicly throughout 2011. In May, she performed at a Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes is a British charity launched on 1 October 2007 to help provide better facilities for British servicemen and women wounded since September 11, 2001. It was founded by Bryn Parry OBE and his wife Emma Parry OBE after they visited soldiers at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham...
charity concert, which raised £2,000, and in June, she performed in a concert to celebrate the 90th year of the Royal British Legion. She again appeared at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in July, were she sang with Russell Watson
Russell Watson
Russell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. The self-styled "People's Tenor" had been singing since he was a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club...
. Smith's father described the appearance as "like a homecoming", due to her previous appearance at the competition.
Personal life
Smith was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, EnglandEngland
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...
, on 23 July 1995. She originally attended Henry Gotch Primary School in Kettering and is now a student at Southfield School for Girls, although she receives private tutoring while working. She completed her GCSEs in 2011, and now intends to study for A levels and then go to university. Smith enjoys playing football; she played for the Kettering Generals Under-11s girls' team when they reached the Weetabix
Weetabix
Weetabix is a whole grain wheat breakfast cereal produced by Weetabix Limited of the United Kingdom. It comes in the form of palm-sized biscuits. Variants include organic and Weetabix Minis versions. The UK cereal is manufactured in Burton Latimer, Kettering, United Kingdom and in Canada and...
League cup final, and also played for the club's Under-13 girls IX. She attends a theatre club, plays the guitar and piano and sings in two choirs, including the Masquerade Youth Choir. Smith lives with her father Tony, a former health and safety manager who now works full-time overseeing Smith's activities, her mother Linda, a hairdresser and her older brother Shea, who is training as a plumber.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Sales | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
U.S.Heat | Billboard Classical Albums | |||
| 2009 | Faryl Faryl Faryl is the debut album by British mezzo-soprano Faryl Smith, released on 9 March 2009 by Universal Classics and Jazz. Smith rose to fame after her appearance on the second series of Britain's Got Talent, and signed with Universal after the competition...
|
4 | 31 | 6 |
|
| Wonderland Wonderland (Faryl Smith album) Wonderland is the second studio album by teenage mezzo-soprano Faryl Smith, released by Decca Records on 30 November 2009. Smith became famous after her participation in Britain's Got Talent in 2008, and subsequently, aged 13, signed with Universal Classics and Jazz, releasing her debut album, Faryl... Universal Classics and Jazz Universal Classics and Jazz is the name of two record label divisions of the Universal Music Group.- UCJ Germany :Universal Music Classics & Jazz is a division of Universal Music Germany and is marketed under websites called Klassik Akzente and Jazz Echo.- UCJ Japan :This Universal Music Japan... |
56 | – | – |
External links
- Official site
- Performance on Britains Got Talent final at itv.comItv.comitv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...