Carly Paoli Collaborates With Musical Legends
Written by Kyle Evans on October 4, 2021
Carly Paoli Collaborates With Musical Legends
Whether it be a live or recorded performance, a classical, contemporary, musical theatre or spiritual song, British/Italian soprano Carly Paoli, certainly knows how to deliver and her brand-new album, Carly Paoli & Friends is out now! The Mansfield born singer/songwriter’s fourth album features a stunning mix of collaborations with some of the biggest names from across the music world. Carly Paoli & Friends imaginatively breaks down musical borders, celebrating the human voice and relationships in abundance with style, ingenuity and bravura
A Classical BRIT Nominee and BBC Music Ambassador, Carly Paoli has done her utmost during lockdown to “keep the music flowing” with live and filmed performances, both solo and with other artists. What has been a unique time in all our lives has seen Carly seek out and create new musical alliances which has led to the wonderful mix of musical styles that will be revealed on Carly Paoli & Friends.
Full of surprises, Carly Paoli & Friends, features 13 duets and one bonus track, If We Could Learn To Love Again, a song written especially for Carly by Frank Wildhorn, whose credits include the musicals Scarlet Pimpernel and Jekyll & Hyde, with lyrics by Carly and Grant Black. With material ranging from contemporary pop to classical, musical theatre and spiritual, Carly Paoli & Friends is a melting pot of styles, offering something for everyone and showcasing her versatility.
On the contemporary front, Barry Manilow’s One Voice is recorded with choral backing from students at the BRIT School. Pray, written by Jethro Tull keyboardist Peter John Vettese, with lyrics by Carly Paoli and Grant Black, sees Carly duet with legendary vocalist Paul Carrack (Ace, Mike & The Mechanics, Squeeze, Roxy Music); Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet fame, collaborates with Carly on Kiss The Stars with music by Walter Afanasieff, the multi–Grammy Award winning producer and songwriter with lyrics by Carly and Hadley. French pop opera star Vincent Niclo and Carly team up for a sumptuous rendition of Amigos Para Siempre, the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Don Black Olympic anthem and finally, Carly is reunited with The Tenors, the operatic, multi-award-winning Canadian trio for the classical pop song Love Will Never End. The Tenors appeared as guests on Carly Paoli’s 2016 concert Music For Mercy – Live From The Roman Forum.
Musical Theatre legend Elaine Paige and Carly Paoli duet on Rainbow Medley – a contemporary take on three musical theatre classic ‘rainbow’ songs – Look To The Rainbow from Finian’s Rainbow, Over The Rainbow from The Wizard Of Oz and Rainbow Connection from the 1979 The Muppet Movie. A Million Dreams sees Carly and Ramin Karimloo perform their exclusive interpretation of the song from The Greatest Showman and for This Is My Lovely Day from the 1947 British show, Bless the Bride, Carly reunites with world renowned tenor Joseph Calleja. Calleja was one of Carly’s special guests on her TV special Christmas At The Castle on Sky Arts and Carly and Calleja both appeared on BBC Radio Two’s Friday Night Is Music Night.
From the classical arena we see Carly duet with American international operatic tenor Noah Stewart on In Pursuit Of Love. Based on Waltz No 2 from The Suite for Variety Orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich, the music featured in the Netflix hit Bridgerton, but lyrics have been added to reflect the storyline of the blockbuster TV series. On Mi Mancherai, a haunting melody with words that ache with longing and memories of a lost love, Carly is accompanied by young classical violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason and for Un Amore Cosi Grande, a celebrated Italian song, Carly reunites with Italian Bandoneon player Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi.
The final two duets evoke Carly’s spiritual side, with American Christian tenor David Phelps on I Believe, originally composed as a song of hope for soldiers in the Korean war and with Aled Jones for Be Thou My Vision, a beautiful hymn with words from Old Irish set to the tune Slane. Carly is a special guest on Aled Jones Cathedral Tour 2022, so this recording offers the chance for the public to hear the pair sing together before the tour.
Recorded during lockdown and observing strict Covid-19 guidelines, orchestral accompaniment is provided in the main by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra with renowned American conductor and composer Steven Mercurio. Another track features The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by award-winning composer William Ross. Musical arrangements are managed across the album by composers, conductors and arrangers Paul Herbert and Dom Haslam.
Carly Paoli & Friends provides the perfect platform for this supremely talented artist to showcase her incredible talent and versatility, breathing new life into each performance, marking her out as one of the most exciting talents to emerge in recent years.
