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Weekly
Media Feature - (5/29/00) |
CHARLOTTE CHURCH, A.K.A. "OPERA SPICE" SINGS
DIANE SAWYER, CHARLES GIBSON, CHARLOTTE CHURCH, A.K.A. "OPERA SPICE" SINGS. , ABC Good Morning America, 06-29-1999.
(Transcript)
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Hi. I'm Charlotte Church. I come from Wales. Later on I'm going to be singing with you with Disney's Youth Musicians Symphony Orchestra. Good morning, America.
YOUNG MUSICIANS: Good morning, America!
CHARLES GIBSON: And we say good morning, America to you as well. I'm Charles Gibson.
DIANE SAWYER: And I'm Diane Sawyer. It was the most ethereal experience this morning because while we were upstairs getting dressed, hair, makeup and such, could you hear down the hall Charlotte warming up. In another room I swear to you Tony Perkins singing "My Way" for some reason still unbeknown to all of us at Good Morning America."
CHARLES GIBSON: Charlotte won. She has an absolutely magnificent voice. This young woman is just 13 years old. She has an album out called "Voice Of An Angel" which has been released in the United States. Number one best seller in the classical list in England. People have run out of words to describe her voice. I suspect you will as well. She has got a magnificent voice. The Disney Youth Orchestra, this is a group of young people they put together every year, do a concert over at Lincoln Center. They'll do it at Avery Fisher Hall tomorrow night. And Charlotte has come in to sing with the young people from all around this country. And she's going to perform for us a little while. You got to stay tuned. She has a lovely, lovely voice.
DIANE SAWYER: But now to the man who says you haven't heard anything if you think Charlotte Church is good, Tony Perkins.
TONY PERKINS: She inspires you and you think you can sing. Of course you're right, Charlie, no contest whatsoever. Don't worry, I won't sing a note this morning. I'll leave it to the pros. (Weather) (Commercial Break)
DIANE SAWYER: How many singers of any age can say they performed for the Pope and Prince Charles before the age of 13? But such is the talent of Welsh singing phenomenon Charlotte Church, who has been dubbed Opera Spice. I love it. Her debut album, "Voice Of An Angel, " has already sold over a million copies and earned her a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest artist ever to top Britain's Classical chart, and Charlotte Church joins us now. Along, by the way, with members of Disney's Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. They're going to play along with you morning. Good to see you. So let's discuss these shoes. These are your performance shoes.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Yes. These are my sneakers. I had the wrong color, I had red and they wouldn't go with my blue top.
CHARLES GIBSON: Quickly, because I'm sure you're sick of being asked the question, but how someone found you. You come from Cardiff in Wales. Such a beautiful area. But you called in to a show that was looking for performers?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Well, that wasn't my big break. But I called into a show and I got on to the show. Then there was another time when my Aunt Caroline who is also a singer, she got on to a show called the "Big, Big Talent Show." She needed somebody to introduce her on the show the researchers decided they wanted me to introduce her. So I did. And then the host knew I could sing. He asked me to sing. So I sang for her. Oh, God! (inaudible) And I got a manager and a recorder. It's been amazing since.
DIANE SAWYER: Don't you dare say how young I looked then. No. No. You're not allowed. What is that note, the high note?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: It's an A-flat. It's not all that bad. DIANE SAWYER: And your range is.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: I got about 2 1/2 octaves, three to push.
DIANE SAWYER: Wow. And I just was told straight A's?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Yeah. I got in my school exams, so I was good.
CHARLES GIBSON: But you've been traveling so much now. Where is the time for school?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Well, I bring along a private tutor with me who tutors me three hours per day. When I go back home, I go to school which is fun. My friends treat me just the same.
CHARLES GIBSON: This is so nice you're performing with the Disney's Young people's Orchestra. Now these young people, we should mention them as well, 8,000 applicants from around the country. And what, 80-some are chosen, is that right? And they've all been up at Sara Lawrence taking a 10-day intensive course and getting together and playing. They're going to have a concert tomorrow night at Avery Fisher Hall, and you're singing with them as well.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Yes. CHARLES GIBSON: This is a "Honey, I shrunk the orchestra." There are 80-some musicians. DIANE SAWYER: These are the only ones that would get up in the morning. You also -- I' ve heard your concert, which is so wonderful. You also sing in Welsh.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Yeah. DIANE SAWYER: And tell me your favorite phrase or word in the language?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Well, when I sang for the Queen when it was the opening for the Welsh Assembly, my first word was (speaking Welsh) which is a mouthful. So that is kind of my favorite.
DIANE SAWYER: What does it mean?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: I don't know. I haven't got a clue.
CHARLES GIBSON: It's the hardest language in the world.
DIANE SAWYER: I hope it doesn't mean "who needs the monarchy?"
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: No, it's just like praising the Welsh and the Welsh valleys.
CHARLES GIBSON: Oh, I thought it was Good Morning America in Welsh. But it is -- Prince Charles learned the language when he became Prince of Wales.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Yeah.
CHARLES GIBSON: And that's not an easy feat to do. But singing in it, so you learn it phonetically?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: I speak a little bit because I do it in school, and my vocabulary is getting bigger. But I learn it phonetically when I have to sing in it.
CHARLES GIBSON: So the song you're going to sing today.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: "Pie Jesu" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Requiem."
CHARLES GIBSON: You sing it so beautifully. You really do. If you' re going to work, wait 10 minutes. You got to stay around and listen to Charlotte Church. We're going to take a commercial break. (Commercial Break)
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: (singing) Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved.
CHARLES GIBSON: We are back with Charlotte Church. Tomorrow night she and Disney's Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra will appear in concert here in New York. The performance will be broadcast August 7 on the Disney channel. Right now we are delighted to be able to see or to hear her sing Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu" accompanied by the members of the orchestra.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: (singing) Pie Jesu Pie Jesu Pie Jesu Pie Jesu Qui tollis peccata mundi Dona eis requiem Dona eis requiem Pie Jesu pie Jesu Pie Jesu Pie Jesu Qui tollis peccata mundi Dona eis requiem Dona eis requiem Angus Dei Angus Dei Angus Dei Angus Dei Qui tollis peccata mundi Dona eis requiem Dona eis requiem Sempiternam Sempiternam Requiem (applause) (Commercial Break)
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: (singing) It will take you over, te quiero.
DIANE SAWYER: We fell in love to the music of the father. Now a whole new generation can fall in love to the son's music. Enrique Iglesias son of Julio Iglesias, singing and steaming up Good Morning America this Friday.
CHARLES GIBSON: He's going to be here to sing on Friday. Who are your favorite singers?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: I love Ricky Martin. I like TLC, Will Smith, Lauryn Hill, Puff Daddy.
CHARLES GIBSON: You have a wide range, then, of taste in music.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: I listen to anything.
CHARLES GIBSON: We were asking if could you sing in Welsh.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Uh-huh.
CHARLES GIBSON: Do you sing in Valley Girl, too?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: I don't sing in Valley Girl. I can do accents like my New York is accent is "Give me coffee, hot chocolate and a bagel."
CHARLES GIBSON: Hold on. We have two musicians from Queens in the orchestra. Where are the Queens musicians here? How is she doing?
CLARINET PLAYER: She's pretty good.
CHARLES GIBSON: Pretty good.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Ok. And then my Valley Girl speak is - "Like, I don't think so, like, do you even imagine it? Like, no way." That's my Valley Girl Speak.
CHARLES GIBSON: Californians in the orchestra? How did she do?
ORCHESTRA MEMBER: Pretty good.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Thank you.
CHARLES GIBSON: And do you Texas?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: I do a little bit of Texas. I played Annie in " Oklahoma." "Oh, my God, I can't believe it. You're going to leave me on my own? That's very nasty of you, mister."
CHARLES GIBSON: How did she do, Texas?
ORCHESTRA MEMBER FROM TEXAS: That's not how we speak.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: I'm sorry.
VIOLINIST: No. I think it's very good. It's very good.
CHARLES GIBSON: Really good. OK. We should talk to some of the young people in the orchestra. This is Lukas Richmond who directs the orchestra. (Applause) How big is the orchestra? You don't have a microphone on, so talk into my chest.
LUKAS RICHMOND: We have 85 students here. Wonderful musicians between the ages of 9 and 13.
CHARLES GIBSON: 9 and 13?
LUKAS RICHMOND: 9 and 13. They're from all over the country. They're extraordinary. I can't believe that I stand in front of them and conduct them.
CHARLES GIBSON: What a treat to be able to do that. I hope you have a very successful concert tomorrow night. I'd be interested in ages. How many 13-year-olds? I see. 12's? And two 11's? Three 11's. That's marvelous. As we mentioned, 8,000, more than 8,000 people apply for the orchestra and 80-some chosen. It's quite a group you' re going to be working with.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: It's amazing.
DIANE SAWYER: I don't suppose you do "La Vida Loca"?
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: No. It's not in my repertoire yet.
CHARLES GIBSON: We wish you all the best. A marvelous for you. You' ve been going all over the world performing and well you should. It's a beautiful voice you have.
CHARLOTTE CHURCH: Thank you.
CHARLES GIBSON: These are such outstanding young people. Oh, boy do I envy them, to be able to do that. DIANE SAWYER: Yeah.
CHARLES GIBSON: It's such -- it' s just great. And Charlotte, her voice -- we were all sitting here with tears running down the sides of our faces.
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