Lesley Garrett – Travelling Light

Lesley Garrett – Travelling Light

Released in 2001, Travelling Light finds celebrated British soprano Lesley Garrett bringing her classical technique to an eclectic programme that moves effortlessly between opera, musical theatre, film music, popular standards and contemporary crossover repertoire. Originally issued by EMI, the album showcases Garrett's versatility beyond the traditional operatic repertoire, combining the scale of orchestral arrangements with familiar songs from stage and screen.

The album opens with the striking pairing of “Surrender / The Wonder Of You”, followed by “Ave Maria”, before Garrett joins Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel for the classic Gershwin number “Bess, You Is My Woman Now” from Porgy & Bess. Elsewhere, she tackles the Beatles medley “For No One / Blackbird”, arranged with the involvement of Sir George Martin, and the much-loved Les Misérables ballad “I Dreamed A Dream”.

The album's broad repertoire is one of its greatest attractions. “Mambo Italiano” features percussionist Evelyn Glennie, while “The Summer Knows” from The Summer of '42 features Michael Ball. Garrett also performs Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's “Alabama Song”, the French-language “Et Si Demain” with composer Michel Legrand, and the enduring film classic “Over The Rainbow” from The Wizard Of Oz.

Another highlight is “Two Hearts, One Love”, specially written for Garrett by George Martin with lyrics by Don Black. The closing “A Boy Like That / I Have A Love” from West Side Story features mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, while the album concludes with “On Holy Ground”, backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and a large ensemble of vocalists. The principal orchestral forces include the BBC Concert Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia, conducted by Philip Ellis.

With its mixture of classical crossover, opera, Broadway and West End favourites, film themes and sophisticated popular song, Travelling Light is an appealing showcase for Lesley Garrett's distinctive crossover style. It is particularly suited to listeners who enjoy artists such as Michael Ball, Katherine Jenkins and Russell Watson, while its impressive cast of collaborators makes it an interesting addition to collections of British classical-crossover and vocal music. The album was released in the UK in November 2001 and reached the UK Albums Chart.

Tracklist

1. Surrender / The Wonder Of You – 5:04
2. Ave Maria – 4:13
3. Bess, You Is My Woman Now From 'Porgy & Bess' – 5:04
4. For No One / Blackbird – 4:36
5. I Dreamed A Dream From 'Les Miserables' – 4:32
6. Mambo Italiano – 4:21
7. The Summer Knows From 'The Summer Of '42' – 4:48
8. Two Hearts, One Love – 3:39
9. Alabama Song From 'The Rise & Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny' – 2:44
10. La Violet – 4:09
11. Et Si Demain – 3:27
12. Over The Rainbow From 'The Wizard Of Oz' – 5:00
13. A Boy Like That / I Have A Love From 'West Side Story' – 4:47
14. On Holy Ground – 5:39