Emily Burnett and Sophie Rohan met and formed Belle Voci a few years ago when they were both working in a pub (chef and waitress) near Chester.  Both trained as singers, at Durham University / Royal College of Music and London School of Musical Theatre respectively and were looking for a way to forge a career in music.  Opera evenings, weddings and corporate events followed before the chance to do ITV’s talent show The Voice came along.  Hoping to get some good footage for their website, both Emily and Sophie were “gobsmacked” when Jennifer Hudson turned for them and then they ended up in the final three.  Prior to that, Emily and Sophie recorded and released their first, self titled album, in 2017.

The first track is the ‘Flower Duet‘ from Delibes’ opera Lakme and is the aria that started it all off for Belle Voci with Jennifer Hudson.  The songs is ideally suited to the voices of Emily and Sophie and is remarkably easy to listen to with crystal clear diction and tones.  It is also their most performed song apparently and features in almost every live set they do.

The other two outstanding songs are Handel’s’ Laschia Ch’io Pianga‘ and ‘Sull’aria‘ from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.  Both are beautifully sung and leave the listener eager to hear more and this is precisely the effect that Belle Voci wanted when they chose the tracks for their album.  The seven operatic arias reflect the lighter end of the operatic market and by adding Roderick Williams’ arrangement of  ‘Over The Rainbow‘, Emily and Sophie show that they are serious about bringing more people into the world of opera.  The tracks reflect some of the more popular operatic arias and thus showcase the music Emily and Sophie love, and are trained, to sing.  In a recent interview for thoughtsofjustafan,  Emily said that “we hope that someone might like ‘Over the Rainbow’ and then discover some of the other, operatic tracks and like them as well…it’s almost like drip feeding opera, introducing people to it who might not have had much before.”

Belle Voci’s advice for young musicians reflects not only their own experience but also that of Jennifer Hudson:

“Never give up! It can often seem like an impossible task choosing a career in music. But one thing we were so grateful for was the focus it gave us growing up. When others were deciding what to do/ where to go/ what to study we were both set on doing the next chapter in our singing journey. Have a dream, like singing at Wembley Stadium , and enjoy the ride up to it. It may be that the dream changes, or it becomes a life long mission but it’s the journey there that’s the important bit. Be focused but live in the moment. Another piece of advice came to us from Jennifer Hudson, “Be true to yourself.” It seems incredibly simple but it is something we remind ourselves of daily as so many people try to advise and guide us through our career. Always remember your gut is right, do what you want to do, perform what showcases you best. Hear all the advice being offered, take it apart and use the bits you want. Allow yourself to grow as you because no one else sounds like you.”

Belle Voci was released in September 2017. Get your copy here.

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