Lucy Kay

By Natasha Barbieri

Before Lucy Kay stunned judges with her rendition of “Vissi D’Arte” my friend Chantelle Constable recommended her for this magazine. I remember being impressed by the voice and the beautiful woman I saw. It is wonderful to see how her career has progressed in the short time since then and I am happy that Lucy was willing to speak with us.

Hailing from Nottingham, England Lucy Kay was inspired to sing by Charlotte Church. It was a discovery that dramatically impacted her. “I was really lucky and it was my saving grace and life changer,” Lucy says. She joined the Cantamus Girls Choir which helped give her confidence and a supportive environment for her passion. Lucy also began to study voice privately.  She grew to love a variety of classical and crossover performers including Maria Callas, Amy Nuttall, the Opera Babes, Katherine Jenkins and the band G4.

Although many children are discouraged from an interest in singing classical music young for fear of damaging their voices, Lucy believes they should be encouraged instead.  “Their minds are like sponges, they can take information and instructions in better than we can at our age. Why deter them from pursuing a route that can be potentially life-changing for them. My life would have been completely different had I not been encouraged to pursue Classical Training.”

When it came to choosing a university Lucy spent months preparing audition material with her singing teachers Pamela Cook and Elaine Guy. “I chose Tornami a vagheggiar from Handel’s Alcina, In the Seraglio Gardens by Delius and a fun piece Chacun le sait from Donizetti’s Fille Du Regiment. We felt all of these pieces showed off most of the vocal techniques I had already learned as well as different styles I could adapt to and characterization.” Her first audition was for the Royal Conservatory of Scotland.  “By the time it came round to my audition I had my negative head on as per usual.” Whatever nerves she felt the faculty heard a young woman who they thought would be an excellent addition to their program. “To my surprise, I was offered a place right there on the spot and was told not to bother with any other college auditions as this place was for me. I felt so overwhelmed that someone would ever say that to me and so cried… (no surprise there!) and accepted.” The result was well worth the difficult audition process. “I’m so so glad I did and overcame my demons to be able to audition for a place at such an establishment.”

Lucy thoroughly enjoyed her experience at the Conservatory and blossomed under their expertise. However, at heart, she always knew the operatic stage wasn’t her calling.  Lucy felt a desire to pursue the commercial side of classical music like Charlotte Church and other performers she admired. Her decision was met with some resistance. “Unfortunately there were a lot of people who told me what a big mistake I was making. I’ve found a lot of Opera students/singers really dislike the commercial route and think it’s a way of cheating yourself into the industry. My opinion on this is that Opera and Classical Crossover both have their own categories; they are two completely different genres of music,” Lucy states adamantly. “Opera is sadly viewed elitist even today, of course, that’s not true because anyone can go and see an opera! But it’s the way Opera stars like Kiri te Kanawa slate classical crossover artists for ruining traditional opera. We’ve just made our own genre and not tried to create a bad name for Opera at all, classical crossover artists are simply bringing the most favorite Opera arias/Popular songs to an audience that would rather see a concert and be entertained rather than sit through an entire Opera trying to work out what is exactly going on or what they’re singing about.”

Lucy believes the music should be accessible to the public regardless of their knowledge about opera. “I don’t believe the listener should need to know everything about a song or aria before they enjoy the music, some people just want to feel something, an emotion or to remember a distant memory just by hearing a piece of music.” It is her goal to make her audience feel something. However, Lucy wants to be clear that she has nothing but respect for those pursuing an operatic career.  “It’s incredibly difficult and you have to be technically on the ball and be very tough for that type of industry, I’m not sure I would last one day of it to be truthful but that’s why I chose the route I did.” For Lucy, it’s all about understanding one’s limits and choosing a genre that you love. “There’s no point pursuing a career in something if you’re not passionate about it. I believe Opera and Crossover artists need to have a lot more respect for each other and their genre. We are all helping to make Classical music more accessible to the public.”

Lucy was given quite the platform to introduce many people to classical selections when she auditioned for Britan’s Got Talent. “My BGT audition was probably one of the most terrifying auditions I have/will have ever done. To know that you have 4 celebrities who could press their red buzzer at any time during my performance was daunting enough but then add in the 2,000 members of the audience and cameras recording your every move/sound. I did stand there and think ‘Oh my gosh what am I doing?  I could really mess everything I’ve worked so very hard for.’” Nerves plagued her during the audition as did self-doubt. “ I wasn’t happy with my performance and was completely convinced I would be buzzed out or given no’s but the audience and judges reactions proved me wrong.” Indeed, the gamble certainly paid off and gave Lucy the chance to pursue the type of career she had always dreamed of. She is her own worst critic claiming, “I’m very hard on myself and still won’t ever let myself forget how rubbish I sang in my first audition. I use that as a reminder to never let my fears get to that point again where it is trying to take over my whole body and voice.”

The audition was certainly a learning experience but Lucy admits, “Nothing could have prepared me for that day.” She decided to change her mind about her original audition song and it ended up being a blessing. “I think it actually set me a part from other classical singers who had been on before. I took a piece of opera probably 80% of the audience wouldn’t have known and gave them an emotional connection… or so I’ve been told.”

Lucy placed second on the finale and her life became a whirlwind.  “It’s a bit surreal actually because I feel like I have the best of both worlds because I’m able to live a double life as it were, I still live in Scotland and everyday at home it’s just like it used to be before I entered BGT.. and then when I go to work I’m singing to hundreds/ thousands of people or on the radio/ TV and at events. So I’m kind of balancing them both pretty well… so far!”

Lucy is now management by Jonathan Shailt and is signed to Sony Classical. The pressure was on to release her debut album but it wasn’t her first time in the studio. “This is actually my second time recording an album as I used to be a part of The Cantamus Girls Choir for 13 years and the choir was signed by EMI.” But this time the success of the record was completely on her shoulders. The public was firmly on her side and the album “Fantasia” went to No.1 in the classical charts immediately upon its release.

Lucy’s personal favorite from the album is Song to the Moon. “I just felt at peace and it was quite atmospheric to record. I kind of lost myself in the music. The most memorable has to be ‘Softly awakes my heart’ right at the very end where I sing ‘Samson.. I love thee.’ I remember really struggling to get the right sort of emotion into the sound and so I had done about 10 retakes. Suddenly I wrote down my partners name ‘David’ over the top of the name Samson and then closed my eyes and imagined this was the very last time I’d ever get to say I loved him to his face and I managed to get an outpour of emotion during that very line.” Mission accomplished. “Emotional stuff singing!” Lucy says with good humor.  

 Since her success on television and in the charts, Lucy has been establishing herself in live performances. She recently completed a tour with Andrea Bocelli which was quickly followed by another with Collabro. “I have absolutely loved both tours… meeting one of the most iconic classical crossover artists in the world and even better getting to sing with him was a complete honor and one I’ll never ever forget.” The tour was not without its difficulties, every night it takes a special strength and confidence for the performer to get in front of a live audience.  

“Knowing I was about to sing in front of about 20,000 people at the O2 arena was well .. terrifying! It got better as each night went on and when you meet the whole crew and start to get to know them you really then feel more comfortable and part of the team.” One of the most memorable moments for Lucy was a rehearsal with Andre Bocelli in his shower!  “At one point his wife walked in and my I was so worried about what she would be thinking as I raised my hand to wave and say ‘HI’ but she had obviously seen it all before and smiled, greeted me and sat down. I believe it was the acoustics in the shower were just right for what we needed during our rehearsal!” she laughs.

Lucy found her groove and was ready to enjoy the tour with her fellow Britain’s Got Talent alumni. “Half the time the boys would be messing about so I decided to get them a few times with my pranks. It’s safe to say we had convinced Matt that the Usher Hall in Edinburgh was Haunted and tied string to his bottle of water backstage and just as he was about to pick it up for a drink we’d pull the string and it would fly across the floor… he was petrified and ran half away up the steps leading onto the onstage stairs.” Lucy acknowledges the importance of letting go.

“I think without all the fun it would have been very tiring and difficult to get through, Vocally it’s extremely tiring and really you get into the touring bubble mind frame so you need a lot of things to keep you stimulated so you don’t lose the plot! I had a fantastic time and I’m so sad it’s over.” She is looking forward to more touring opportunities in the future.

Although our main mission is music, Classical Crossover Magazine is also keen to promote a healthy body image whenever possible. We asked Lucy for her thoughts on this very important topic. “Everyone in this world is different, we are all unique.. so why do we have to conform to other people’s ideas of beauty standards? Most women are meant to be curvy, we have hips to bare children, we have breasts to feed them and we have everything else that they need to be created and grow inside of us. We are made this way, we are women.” Lucy goes to remind us the importance of balance. “I make sure I exercise so then I can pretty much eat what I want. I’m curvy but I’m healthy. From a very young age children and teenagers are subject to the content published in magazines. A lot of articles slamming the famous for putting on or losing weight, they even write about the latest trending diet to get you to look like those size 0 models. Our children learn from our actions, what they see and what they hear. It’s no wonder there are a lot of young girls suffering from Bulimia or Anorexia. We all hate parts of our body or feel self-conscious at times but believe me there isn’t one person in this world that doesn’t think like that, it’s natural. Everyone is beautiful in their own way no matter shape or size, we need to embrace who we are for what we are.”

During her time on Britain’s Got Talent Lucy shared about her experience being bullied. If she could give herself some advice at that time it would be “To have more faith in yourself.” She explains, “I used to be such a negative person, even though I never gave up I would always go through my life in anything I did with a big cloud of doubt and negativity. I’ve now turned into such a positive person after BGT and now believe that anything is possible you just have to give it a go and believe. IF things do not work out for any reason, then it was never meant to happen. An old Scottish saying ‘What’s for you won’t go by you’ and it’s so true.” She believes that everything happens for a reason. “I was meant to have gone through the dark times to come out on the other side. It defines you as a person, I’m much more stronger, independent and determined. I also feel like my bad experiences can help others, to know that they aren’t alone in this and that you can get through it. So many people are a testament to that.”

Good things are indeed on the horizon for Lucy. “I’m excited about 2015 because there’s talk of making another album which is to be more Crossover type music rather than just Opera which my first album mainly was. I’ve also made a pretty daring image change as I now feel I’m able to show the public just who I really am and get away from the stereotypical image classical singers are given. 2015 is the year the show the general public a new breed of classical! I always like to push the boundaries so I hope people like what I do once it’s released! Fingers crossed!”

Lucy gives us a peak at some of her ambitions for the future. “My plan, aim and dream is to become an icon for a new breed of classical, not following trends or stereotypes.” She hopes to take her music to an international stage and perform in as many countries as possible.  
“I want to share my music with everyone who will listen. I want to make people happy, I love meeting people after concerts and hearing their feedback and to what they’d like to see me do/sing. It’s for the people so I love listening to their ideas and involving them as much as I can. Let them be a part of my dream and music.. as they are the only reason I am where I am today,” she says gratefully. “They help me live my dream and enable me to have a job! I quite like just having a general natter with them too!”

“Fantasia” is out now from Sony Classical. Visit www.lucykaysoprano.com

Natasha Barbieri, Editor

Editor

Creator of Classical Crossover Magazine. For Natasha music has always been closely tied to her faith. At age 18, Natasha made her opera debut playing the part of the mother in Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ with the Eastern Festival Opera. At 20, she was a winner of the 2011 Young Artist Competition at Andrews University. Natasha graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Music. Natasha has released a series of Holiday singles “A Place Called Home” (2020), “One Little Boy,” and “The Perfect Year” (2021). In 2021, she was nominated for the ‘Future Classic Women Awards’ show on Men’s & Women’s Radio Station. Natasha is the creator and editor of ‘Classical Crossover Magazine’ a venture that has allowed her to interview many of the top stars in the genre including Sarah Brightman, Celtic Woman, Mirusia, Paul Potts, and more. During the covid-19 pandemic, she created an online concert series for the magazine that has seen her perform in the same line-up as Alex Sharpe, Lucy Kay, Barbara Padilla, Classical Reflection, and more on the virtual stage. In 2022, Natasha was included on the charity album “Stars of Classical Crossover: Christmas” in benefit of the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Charity.