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| The
Megaron |
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=Post
Concert=
Charlotte
Church raises funds for arts centre
15
March 2002
MARCH 8 saw renowned teenage soprano Charlotte Church
perform a diverse selection of songs at a charity concert
held at the Megaron Mousikis. The sellout concert by the
Welsh star, who has just turned 16, was part of a series of
cultural events, including performances by Jose Carreras and
the New York City Ballet, to raise funds for the
construction of the American-Hellenic Arts Centre of
Halandri. Bonnie Miller, wife of US Ambassador to Greece
Thomas Miller, who is the honorary chair of the fundraising
committee, told a March 7 press conference that the centre,
to be constructed on the American Community Schools campus,
"aims to develop the talents of young people in Athens
by providing them with a concert hall where musicians can
practise and perform". Church said that she could
especially appreciate the importance of the centre:
"Where I was growing up there was nothing like this
nearby. It offers an amazing opportunity for the young
people of the area." An auditorium, practice
facilities, exhibition hall, as well as a small restaurant
and plenty of parking space will make the centre worthwhile.
Projected to be finished in two years' time, the venue will
serve as a both fine and performing arts centre for ACS
students, and a conference centre for a wide range of events
organised by the Halandri municipality and other local
institutions. Athens News.
=Pre-Concert=
Charlotte
Church: Growing up with an angelic voice
Phenomenally
popular teen-soprano talks to the 'Athens News' about
Megaronconcert, latest album and more
BY MARIA PARAVANTES
1 March 2002
Welsh sensation Charlotte Church will be in Athens for a
March 8 concert at the 'Megaron Mousikis'
IT'S not easy being a child prodigy growing up. OK, so you
can tell all your friends you've sung for the pope, British
PM Tony Blair, the US president even Queen Elizabeth, but
can someone as exceptional as Charlotte Church be a simple
everyday teen? Can the pint-sized girl who blew everyone
away with her Sony Classical debut and double-platinum Voice
of an Angel simply sit back and wallow? The 15-year-old
Welsh soprano, to give a March 8 Athens concert at the
Megaron Mousikis, speaks to the Athens News about balancing
"adult" responsibilities with adolescent
breeziness.
So what's it like for a child prodigy growing up?
"Sometimes it alienates you from your peers
slightly," Church says, "but the friends I've got
completely understand the situation." As for people's
expectations of her? She puts it simply: "If I'm happy
with my voice, my performances and the way my career is
going, then I'm fine." Indeed a mature perspective for
a multi-millionaire teen.
From the snow-covered slopes of Salt Lake City - and after a
captivating performance at the Winter Olympics closing
ceremony - Church was on a plane headed for... school in the
UK. So how does she combine a career with schooling?
"When I'm on the road I have two tutors," Church
says, "but when I go back home I go to school, that way
I have the best of both worlds, plus the interaction with
schoolmates."
Church's latest album Enchantment veers away from the
classical and liturgical repertoire that has made her
famous, featuring a selection of show tunes, contemporary
standards and traditional favourites. "Yeah, I'm kind
of moving away from classical music into new things,"
Church says of both her singing and her image, adding that
she's testing the waters and is really not sure about what
she'd like to sing. One thing she does know, however, is
that she'll "be listening to all sorts of music"
and choosing the ones she likes best.
So what can the Welsh sensation tell us about herself at 15?
"16 now", she corrects me, "I've just turned
16."
"Well, I'm quite different from my public
persona." She listens to garage, hip-hop and R&B,
loves going to "wicked" movies (liked seeing
Matrix and Blade) and as every other "healthy"
teenager in the world, "absolutely adores" junk
food and eats "way too many sweets".
Church, who wants to study philosophy or psychology or even
acting, says she's obsessed with ancient history,
anthropology and philosophy and plans to take advantage of
her first to trip to the sunny shores of Greece.
For the Megaron concert, Church will be performing works
primarily off her latest album Enchantment, featuring a
selection of show tunes, contemporary standards and
traditional favourites such as the "Somewhere" and
"Tonight" (West Side Story), "Papa Can Hear
Me" (Yentl), "Imagine", "Bridge Over
Troubled Waters" and "My Lagan Love". She
will be accompanied by the ERT National Symphony Orchestra
with Arnie Roth at the podium.
Proceeds from the concert, organised by the American
Community Schools of Athens (ACS) and the American-Hellenic
Arts Centre of Halandri under the auspices of the US
embassy, will go towards the construction of an
American-Hellenic arts centre. The venue does not only serve
the needs of the student body but also aims to become a
multi-purpose artistic centre hosting seminars, conferences,
theatrical performances, concerts and much more.
Church is the youngest solo artist ever to top the classical
charts, achieve a Top 30 album in the US and have a Number 1
chart hit in the UK. She's sold over 8 million units
worldwide.
Charlotte Church performs at the Megaron Mousikis' Friends
of Music Hall at 8.30pm on March 8. Tickets at 123.26,
102.71, 58.69 and 35.22 euros (students 23.48 euros) are
available from the venue (Vas Sofias and Kokkali sts, tel
010-728-2333) and its central box-office (8 Omirou St).
* For the buff: Voice of an Angel, Charlotte Church, Dream a
Dream and Enchantment. Athens News |
