You Raise Me Up - best of Aled Jones

It feels like Aled Jones has been part of the music scene in the UK for so long now, that it’s difficult to remember he’s still only 35. His singing career is far from over, with four of the five album deal signed with Universal Classics and Jazz completed, and a new deal for a further six albums recently signed, Aled has decided to issue a ‘story-so-far’ collection of some his most famous hits called ‘You Raise Me Up - best of Aled Jones’.

Everyone will have their favourites from his albums ‘Aled’, ‘Higher’, ‘The Christmas Album’ and ‘New Horizons’, and many of mine are on this compilation. There are also a few I would not have chosen myself but clearly Aled felt there was place for every one. He was asked by Terry Wogan on ‘Wogan Now and Then’ in February 2005 "would your ultimate ambition be to sing opera?" He replied with typical Aled honesty that he did not think his voice was large enough to sing opera, adding, "I enjoy doing the sort of music I do". That sort of music can be briefly described as inspirational, whether hymns or inspirational songs, either uplifting or calming and songs in which, in his own words, he can put his heart and soul in to. His voice might not be the largest but he sings with depth and feeling. It’s very gentle and soothing, with a touch of the Welsh accent, making it a voice that frequently touches the parts that other can’t reach!

As a child, Aled sang ‘Give me a tenor voice when this one breaks’, in fact he came back to singing as a lyric baritone, although the voice is still developing and has also increased in range such that he is indeed sometimes now described as a tenor. This selection shows the full range, includes some duets with other artists (vocal with Hayley Westenra and Bryn Terfel, and instrumental with Julian Lloyd Weber) and the speciality that is surely unique to Aled’s CDs, a duet with his younger self.

Aled has said that his own particular favourite songs are ‘How Great Thou Art’ and ‘You Raise Me Up’, so how appropriate then was the decision to call the album ‘You Raise Me Up’. Aled’s version has always been the only one for me and although he did not sing it in concert for some time he has recently, much to the pleasure of his audiences, so it is the perfect song to start off this compilation.

There is, in truth, something for everyone.

If you enjoy Aled singing in Welsh, there is ‘All Through the Night’ and ‘Suo-Gan’.

If you want Latin, there is ‘Pie Jesu’ and ‘Panis Angelicus’.

If you enjoy Libera backing Aled, there are numerous songs that include the group with whom he has collaborated for so long.

If you enjoy first class instrumentalists, there is ‘Marble Halls’ with Julian Lloyd Weber (Cello), and ‘Suo-Gan’ with Catrin Finch (Harpist).

If you want hymns, there is ‘How Great Thou Art’, ‘All Through the Night’ and ‘Abide With Me’.

If you want non-hymns but religious, there is ‘Pie Jesu’, ‘Panis Angelicus’ and ‘Vespera’ and if you want non-hymns but inspirational or soothing, there is ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘I Believe’, ‘Deep Peace’ and ‘My Life flows on’.

If you want classical there is the song that according to Aled, is the most requested on Classicfm - ‘Did You Not Hear My Lady’.

If you want something a bit different there is ‘Places’ to the ‘Out of Africa’ Theme, and if you want something with a bit more of a swing to it there is ‘San Damiano’.

The last song on the CD is ‘O Holy Night’, chosen by the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu as one of his ‘Desert Island Discs’. And with Christmas approaching, we have ‘Silent Night’, ‘O Holy Night’.

Which brings us to ‘Walking in the Air’. When Aled released his version of this song in 1985 he was already quite well known having sung in the Holy Land, at the Hollywood Bowl and for the Royal family. But there is little doubt that it was ‘Walking in the Air’ which brought Aled to the notice of the British general public. The song seems to have haunted him ever since, as people don’t realise that it was 21 years ago that he sang it and his life and career have moved on. He said, during the ‘Strictly Come Dancing Champion of Champions’ competition, when he and Lilia Kopylova danced a delicate and beautifully choreographed samba to ‘Walking In The Air’ " I never want to sing that song again - I actually prefer dancing to it!" But Aled has clearly changed his mind and has created the Aled speciality - a duet with his younger self. As usual with the Aled duets, the adult voice does not intrude at all but creates a light background to the treble; and in this song, which after all needs to feel delicate and airy, Aled’s light baritone is perfect and does indeed keep that airy feeling. We have the baritone echoing the treble and then parts of the song sung in harmonies and parts in unison. The result is a version, which is a reminder of the original and yet very different. How much more perfect can that be for Christmas!

If you have never bought an Aled CD, then ‘You Raise Me Up’ will, by definition, give you the best of Aled. And when you come home at the end of a busy day, feeling stressed and troubled and in need of calming down, sit back in a comfy chair, and put on ‘You Raise Me Up’. You will feel your cares melt away as Aled’s gentle voice, sometimes described as ‘chocolaty’ or ‘creamy’, does what it says and raises your spirits while soothing away all stresses.

Track listing:

1. You Raise Me Up
2. I Believe
3. Panis Angelicus (with Bryn Terfel)
4. Walking in the Air (with Young Aled)
5. Deep Peace
6. How Great Thou Art
7. Marble Halls (with Julian Lloyd Webber)
8. Silent Night (with Hayley Westenra)
9. Vespera
10. All Through The Night
11. Pie Jesu
12. My Life Flows On
13. Places (theme from 'Out of Africa')
14. Abide With Me
15. San Damiano
16. Did You Not Hear My Lady?
17. Suo-Gan
18. O Holy Night

‘You Raise Me Up – best of Aled Jones’ is released 27 November 2006.

Added: November 25th 2006
Reviewer: xbons
Score: