Behind the Song “La Forza”

Irish classical crossover soprano Leah Barniville released a new single “La Forza” on June 3rd. The track shows off her incredible range and control and how much she has matured since first coming to the public eye through “Britain’s Got Talent.”

CCM: Why did you choose this piece – what does it mean to you?

Leah Barniville: I have adored this song since the moment I first heard it. It was one of those songs that immediately captured my soul and I knew instantly that I wanted to cover it in the future.

CCM: When did you first hear it?

Leah Barniville: This song was suggested to me by one of my followers back in 2018. I remember it was a Saturday night and I received a private message from this follower, suggesting that I cover the song. I had missed the Eurovision that year, so it was an extremely pleasant surprise to me when I opened the link attached to the message. I remember hopping up from the sofa I was sitting on in my living room and heading upstairs to the bathroom (my favourite spot for rehearsing/learning songs due to the amazing acoustics hehe) and I learnt the song within a couple of hours. It was much more challenging for me to sing then, as I was only 16 years old at the time.

CCM: What are some of the elements from the original that were important for you to keep and what were some of the new ideas you are most excited about?

Leah Barniville: I think this song is a work of art. The mix between the original artist, Elina Nechayeva’s bright, light, classical sound, and the popera track was just exquisite, so I chose to keep these elements.

CCM: Were there any challenging moments in this piece?

Leah Barniville: This entire piece is challenging! As I mentioned above, I learnt this song when I was 16, and it has taken until now for me to get it to the place where I felt comfortable enough and ready to release it. The voice is forever evolving through a singer’s lifetime, and I’m a firm believer in waiting for the fruit to ripen before eating it.

Like I said, this entire song is extremely challenging, but the cherry on top of the cake is the final three notes – E6,D6 to F6 – an extremely challenging and demanding sequence of notes. They’re difficult in isolation, never mind one after another and held for a duration of 15 seconds! Let’s just say, it took some practise!

CCM: Tell us a little bit about the production of the track?

Leah Barniville:  I recorded this track with my incredible producer, Mark Cahill, a few months ago now. Mark created the gorgeous track and we worked from there!

CCM: Did you have any additional collaborators?

Leah Barniville: It was just myself and Mark who worked on this one! Although, I would like to take this moment to mention the incredible original artist Elina Nechayeva, for gracing the world with this musical masterpiece. Also, credit is definitely due to my fantastic photographer, Ramiro Gago, who captured my vision for this release PERFECTLY.

Stream “La Forza” on Spotify now!

Follow Leah Barniville on Facebook

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.