Will on Tenor's Take Ten' CD 28 Sept 2008

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Tenors Take Ten is a disc free with the Sunday Mail newspaper on 28 Sept 2008.

"...it is the turn of Will Martin, another gloriously talented young New Zealander – and one who is set to take the world of classical music by storm.

Will sings Going Home, the opening track on Tenors Take Ten, a song adapted from the horn theme from Dvorak’s famous Ninth ‘New World’ Symphony.

‘The lyrics are appropriate for a Kiwi kid a long way from home,’ says Will, who is now based in London. His debut solo album, A New World, also features the song.

Will admits that until his teens he was a typical sports-mad New Zealander, though he says he was too small to play the national game – rugby. Instead he played tennis and football and gained a martial arts black belt by the age of 12.

But not long after that, his life was transformed. Staff at his boys’ school were looking for volunteers to play the part of Eliza Doolittle in a production of My Fair Lady. Despite having never sung on stage, Will auditioned and won the part. He was hooked.

‘I realised that performing beautiful music was far better than doing school work,’ he explains.

‘After My Fair Lady I started having classical training. Music just took over my life – it really was that dramatic. I didn’t have time for anything else. By the time I was 16, I’d stopped doing sport and my homework. I was totally focused on singing.

‘In my late teens I decided to give it a go as a profession. My passion has always been classical music and musical theatre, but that rarely pays the bills in New Zealand. So I decided to sing anything, anywhere.’

Will spent four years as a jobbing singer until, at the age of 22, he recorded a demo and sent it to three leading British record companies.

‘I didn’t expect to hear back from them,’ he admits, ‘so it was an incredible surprise when all three got in touch with me almost immediately. I decided to sign with Universal because they were the most passionate about the music.’

Will recorded A New World in London and it will be released on Monday.

‘I like getting a story across to an audience,’ he says, ‘and the best stories, I find, are in classical music. I also love the emotion in the songs.

‘For instance Going Home, the track I sing on The Mail on Sunday CD, is a timeless piece of classical music with a wonderful score and beautiful lyrics, but we have produced it as if it was written yesterday. The song is nearly 100 years old, but we give it a contemporary edge.’

Will wants to make classical music more accessible. ‘I want to take away the stigma that it has, to remove its reputation as being boring,’ he says. ‘If it is presented in a fresh and modern way, a broader market might have a listen and enjoy it.

‘I’m really excited to be part of Tenors Take Ten. To sing the first song on an album with such a high calibre of artists is a real privilege. I hope Mail on Sunday readers will enjoy listening to Going Home as much as I enjoyed singing it.’ ..."

Source: Daily Mail

For more details of the disc, a clip of Will Singing and a video clip interview CLICK HERE then on the Sunday Mail link

xantha · Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 10:19 am Post subject:

This is the first time I have heard an entire track of Will's and I'm really impressed. It is a beautiful and poignant song and Will's voice really reflects this. I saw that he has been dubbed the male Hayley Westenra and I can see why - not just because of the New Zealand connection either. I will definitely be listening to more of Will's music from now on. Smile

xrainy · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:22 am Post subject:

I finally listened to the Free CD and think Will was a perfect choice for first song as it is an immediate introduction to 'the new guy'. And from listening to the rest of the album it is great to say he's just as good as the others who have been around a lot longer. Going Home is a beautiful track and I am intrigued to hear more from Will. Very Happy