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Thanks
to the Official Charlotte Church Fan Club for providing
us with this!
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Journal 3| Journal
2 | Journal
1 ]
I do apologise for the delay in getting this to you but, as you are
about to read, I have been slightly (!) busy these past few months.
Since
my first magazine, dated April 2000, not only have I had the usual
hectic schedule of promotion and live performances to deal with, but
I have also been required to do, first, a whole heap of revision and
then, second, sit a number of school exams. Meanwhile, I had to
record a new album! Much more about all of that in a moment.
I am aware that, in between editions of this newsletter, a number of
you have been asking when a 'proper' fan club is going to be set up.
Of course, I'm very flattered by this interest but, for the time
being, I would prefer to keep things as they are; to continue
sending these occasional magazines, at no cost to yourself.
Meanwhile, we are obviously keeping computer records of everyone
like you, and if it is eventually decided to set up a fee-paying
club, you'll be the first to know.
On that note, I'll move straight on to my latest news - recalled
with the help of my itinerary and the occasional prompt and question
from the newsletter editor! As I remember it, the last magazine
covered until the end of May, so I'll pick things up from there.
June 1 - 13: Four days off, although they could hardly really be
called that; they fell during my school half-term and I was up to my
eyes in revision - which I absolutely hate. However, I have to do it
and so I did lots of it. In the exams, I got 66% in maths, 72% in
English, 75% in RS (religious studies), 83% in French, 90% in music,
92% in history and 95% in geography. I was very pleased.
Then, when your exams were over, you did what
every schoolchild does; you flew off to Boston.
Of course! I went there on June 14 to do a private concert - and I
took one exam with me, because you are allowed time to finish it
back home. So I flew off to Boston and an exam. I was only in Boston
for a day, and the Boston show was really difficult because I had to
sing as soon as I got there - which was like one o'clock in the
morning, for me. The time difference was a little unkind. After the
Boston trip, I came back home and spent pretty much until the end of
June back at school.
July 1: I recorded the album in July which took, what,
six-and-a-half days. Straight after recording the album, I went to
Jerusalem for 10 days (July 16 - 26). We filmed and filmed and.did
more filming. For what? For 'Charlotte Church In The Holy Land', for
a video of me performing songs from my Christmas album in an abbey
and for a video of me performing songs frommy first two albums.
After that, I spent some time working on my book, my autobiography.
The author came down, and came to town with me and my friends, to
see what we did.
So, here you are - at the ripe old age of 14 -
and you already have an autobiography. How does that feel?
Not
too weird because it's not really an autobiography. It's more like a
story. It's not really that odd. Sure, it's a book about me but.I
release CDs with my voice on. So, you know, a book is not so
different to that. The book is published next April, it's about my
background, it's about my life so far and the magical fairy tale
that has happened to me. It's also about what I think on certain
things, meeting my friends - just about my life; meeting me, like,
in a really personal way.
What's the new album called, and when is it
released?
It's called 'Dream A Dream' and it's out in the UK on November 20,
but in America it was released on October 17. It features Christmas
20 songs like 'O Holy Night', 'The Little Drummer Boy', 'Silent
Night', 'Winter Wonderland ', 'When A Child Is Born' and the title
track is 'Dream A Dream', which was an old piece of music which has
been made into a song. I sang that with the 12-year-old Billy Gilman,
who is the American country singer.
In your itinerary, from the 6th to the 21st of
August, there was something listed called a 'holiday'.
Oh, yes! I went to St. Lucia and Grenada and I took my best friend,
Kim, my mum, my dad and Terry (Kenny, a close family friend and one
of Charlotte's advisers). It was absolutely wicked.
August 25: The Wiltshire Festival. Oh, that was really cool. I did
it the year before, as well, and it's a really great concert. The
conductor, Joe Alexander, is fabulous and the audiences are not like
typical classical
audiences; they all get really drunk and so they shout and scream
and applaud really loudly. So that was really, really cool and I did,
like, about 18 billion costume changes. I sang and everything was
great. I had a
fun time there. The concert I did was the classical event on a
Friday, and I took my friend Abby along to that. Then, on the
Saturday, we came back home and I had to go to my cousin Paul's
wedding. On the Sunday, Abby and Kim -both my best friends - and
myself went back to watch the pop event at the Wiltshire Festival.
We saw Steps and Fierce, and all these different people.
What pop music are you listening to at the
moment?
Love Robbie (Williams), love The Corrs, love Destiny's Child, TLC,
Pink, Eminem.I really want to get Kelis's new album. I like Sonique's
new album, 'Hear My Cry'. I love Anastacia's song. What else? Manic
Street Preachers, Stereophonics. My taste is pretty much across the
board; I like rock and rap and hip-hop and r 'n b and pop.
August 31: I flew out to Minnesota to perform at the Target
conference out there, on September 1 - and that was wicked! Target
is like one of the most generous companies ever. I did their
conference last year and they gave me a Prada bag - which I thought
was fabulous. I had a really good time there. Then I did an Easter
advert for them; I was their Easter girl, and they gave me all of
this make-up, which was really cool. This time when I went there,
they got me this gorgeous little leather bag and leather purse by
MarkJacobs. They also gave me a Moschino bag, which was fabulous,
too. So I sang there - and I got to meet Tina Turner there, as well.
Your schedule is a scream. For example;
September 5 & 6 - international promotion; September 6 - start
of Autumn school term.
It is a little strange, but I'm used to it. And then on September 8
I flew out to Nashville to perform two shows with the Nashville
Symphony Orchestra. On September 14 went to Atlanta, where I also
did another two shows, on September 16 and 17. All of those
performances went really well, and I got a standing ovation each
night, which was really good. So, I was really happy with that, and
then we got a really brilliant review in Nashville - and a really
awful review in Atlanta. But that didn't bother me, it just bothered
my mum and dad.
In general, though, they appear to love you in
America. There's something about you that really seems to appeal to
the Americans.
Yes. I.don't quite know why, actually! Oh.!
How are you coping with your popularity?
Obviously, it's not just about getting up on stage and singing. It's
also about everything that comes with that - like walking down the
road and, probably, being stopped by people. How do you cope with
all of the attention - and do you mind it?
Well, when I'm out, I try not to look like myself - if that makes
any sense whatsoever. When I go out to town with my friends, I put
my glasses and my bandana on, and that kind of stuff. When I do get
stopped. There's nothing I can do about it. I just sign an autograph
or smile for a picture. But I went to town last week and it was
really difficult because I had my glasses on, I had my bandana on
and I was waiting with my two friends for my other friend, Jo, to
come - and all of these people recognised me. They started to shout
'Charlotte! Charlotte Church! Come over here!' Like that, really
loud, and the whole of town seemed to stop and stare. We had to run
into a shop in the end.
Ah, well, that kind of thing goes with the
territory, as they say.
Exactly.
Looking back through September, I see 'School'
mentioned many times. We know that you have a tutor, when you're off
working, but in the meantime you still have to go to school. You've
just come back from school this afternoon, haven't you?
Hm-hmmm.
That just seems so weird, to me. It really
does.
I know. I think, to an outsider, my life is really odd. When you're
living it, you get into a routine. So it's quite normal.
So far as school is concerned, have you
figured out what you're going to do yet? Are you going to do 'A'
Levels, and so on?
I'm going to take a degree in Ancient History or Philosophy. I'm
really interested in ancient civilisations and that type of stuff -
especially Egyptian, Greek and Roman. School and my education is
just as important to
me as my career.
Back to your itinerary now. Moving through
October, I see a lot of something called 'Compulsory School'. What
is that?
That means I have to go back home to go to school. That's the law
laid down for me by my Head Teacher..
What else are you up to in October?
Well, I'm due to go to Hong Kong and Singapore, to do some concerts,
and I also have a trip to Germany. My school half-term is from
October 23 to October 27.
November sees you doing concerts in Baltimore,
on the 12th, and Montreal on the 13th.
Yes,
I think that's right.
On December 6, there's an entry in your
schedule which says 'St Nicholas'. What's that?
That's a show in Amsterdam.
There's also mention of a trip to Germany.
Oh, is there?..
.and it looks like you're then doing a
two-week, non-stop tour of every country in the world. Did you know
about that?
No!
Only joking!
Good!
Seriously, though, looking forward from now to
the end of the year and what it holds for you, it's obviously a
mixture of promotion, performance, the release of your new album and
school. How do you feel about the prospect of it all?
Well, I'm half looking forward to it, and half not. Doing the
promotional slog, as we call it, it is a lot of hard work and a lot
of travelling, doing TVs and all of that stuff. I'm looking forward
to it because I like going on
TV shows, meeting other people and going to new places I've never
been to before.
OK. A couple of quick questions to end with.
First of all, who have you been most thrilled to meet lately?
There's been loads! I went to the VMAs, and awards ceremony, and I
didn't really speak to anybody because.I just couldn't; my mouth was
open so wide on the floor because, sitting around us, was Britney
Spears, 'N Sync, Eminem, Jay-Z, Destiny's Child, Pink and Cisco. I
was like 'Oh.my.God!' So I just drooled the whole night.
But, equally, there will be people out there,
other celebrities, who will see you and go 'Oh.my.God.it's.Charlotte.Church!!!'
Well, I don't really see it like that, with me - because it's me.
Mind you, Jay-Z did come over at the VMAs. He said 'Hi, I'm Jay-Z -
you're incredible. I'm a fan.' And I just went 'Oh, thank you!'
Your third album is already out in America.
You're quite the 'old pro' now. What do you think about the new
record?
I'm very happy with the album. I think it's the best I've done so
far. I wouldn't say I'm excited about it. Apprehensive, definitely.
Finally, looking to the future - to the year
2001 - what does it hold for you?
I'm going to concentrate on my school work a bit more. There is a
possible film, but I don't know about that. That's kind of like not
even 50%. What else? There's quite a big tour of America happening
next year and.that's it, really. I don't plan to do another album in
the immediate future."
Well, that about wraps things up. Anything
else you'd like to say?
Yes.
To everyone reading this, I'd like to say thank you for all of your
support and care. I really appreciate it and I'd like to wish
everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Look out for
another of these
newsletters in the year 2001.
Love,
Charlotte Church
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