By Natasha Barbieri
Faryl Smith may seem like any other lovely young starlet gracing the pages of magazines these days, but she has something that is far too often missing – real talent.
The nineteen-year-old mezzo-soprano first caught public attention at the age of twelve with a startlingly warm version of “Ave Maria” on Britain’s Got Talent. According to Faryl, she began singing at the age of seven, like many children her age did. Her parents did not pay particular attention until a few years later. “I think the moment that my family noticed that my voice was something special was when I won the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in Wales,” Faryl says. She was ten at the time. “I think it was just the fact that I was so young and that so many singers aged 10-15 from all over the world had entered.”
Faryl developed her talent through private lessons and involvement with choir. She was encouraged to try out for Britain’s Got Talent. “I have always watched shows like BGT, The X-Factor and American Idol,” Faryl shares. “My family used to say to me, ‘I’m sure he [Simon Cowell’ will get to hear you one day.” They were right. Out of millions of hopefuls that audition every year, Faryl found herself selected to take part in the television audition round in front of Simon Cowell and the other judges. Although Simon has developed a reputation for being ‘Mr. Nasty’ due at least in part to the theatricality that serves to boost ratings, Faryl needn’t have been nervous.
Unlike many other young singers who attempt to sing music beyond their abilities, Faryl chose to perform Bach’s “Ave Maria” which suited her range and years. When it was her turn to perform, Faryl performed the piece with an evenness of tone throughout her range, a pleasantly dark color to her voice and vocal maturity beyond her years. The audition prompted Cowell in his usual charismatic style to proclaim that Faryl was “literally one in a million.” Faryl speaks fondly of their encounter. “To even have the opportunity to perform in front of Simon Cowell was crazy enough, but to get such lovely comments from him too was amazing. It didn’t really sink in at first.”
It may not have sunk in for the young performer but viewers certainly realized the quality of what they had witnessed. Faryl was the favorite to win the competition and Simon Cowell saw to it that she received additional training. Faryl eventually placed third and was immediately flooded with offers from recording labels.
Faryl’s parents decided against signing with Cowell’s label Syco despite his admiration for her talent. There were concerned not only with the immediate potential to sell albums but to protect their daughter’s personal life and vocal longevity. Faryl remains passionate about the same saying, “It is extremely important for young classical singers to protect their instrument. My teachers always made sure that I wasn’t singing anything that was completely out of my range or too difficult for me. I have always wanted to protect my voice, as I want my career to be long-term. I didn’t want to wear my voice out at such a young age.”
She is grateful for the support of her family claiming that the best reasons for her success was the fact that they could share the experience together. “Because of my age, I always had to have a family member with me at all times and it was great to take them with me on the journey.” Of course, the spotlight does not come without its difficulties. “The worst part was probably missing a bit of school, it just meant that I had to work ten times harder to pass all of my exams.”
Faryl eventually did sign with Universal Music Group and released a self-titled debut album. “I had never sung in a studio before I recorded my first album, so the whole experience was exciting for me.”
The material on the album firmly placed her in the ranks of classical crossover singers and many saw her as poised to become the next Katherine Jenkins. Faryl’s personal favorite? “If I had to choose one song, it would probably be Calon Lan, which is a Welsh Hymn. The reason I loved recording this song is because my granddad is Welsh and he taught me all of the words before I went into the studio. My great nan used to be a professional singer and she used to sing this song too, so the piece meant a lot to me.” Once released the album ‘Faryl’ broke records making it the fastest-selling classical solo album.
The exposure from Britain’s Got Talent allowed Faryl the chance to take the album to the United States. “It was fantastic,” Faryl says of the experience. “I sang on the Ellen DeGeneres show and the Bonnie Hunt show. I received so many lovely comments from people in American and they seemed to enjoy the album.”
Faryl released one more album with Universal before moving focus to her studies. She has continued to train and perform at various events including the FA Cup Final and the Epsom Derby in front of the Queen, as well as other festivals. Faryl has been a guest of Russell Watson and Rhydian Roberts of whom Faryl is particularly fond. “I always enjoy performing with Rhydian. He is really nice to my family and is very easy to work with.” Faryl is equally enthusiastic about performing for sporting events. “My favorite sport to play is football and I like watching both football and rugby games. I always love singing at sporting events, the atmosphere is always great and you get to watch the game afterward too!”
She enjoys the fashion side of performing as well. Of her performance style, Faryl says, “I try to make my style on stage sparkly, glamorous, and sophisticated.” When asked to name three random facts about herself Faryl provides the following, “I have a cat called Socks, I used to play football, and I love my Nanna’s beetroot on toast.”
Recently, Faryl has been featured on the album for the International Harp Ensemble. “Both the harp ensemble and myself are signed to the same agency and we thought that it would be a good combination for a theatre tour,” she says practically and goes on to note that, “The voice and harp work great together and we are all young performers too.”
Faryl has certainly matured with grace since our first introduction to her on television. Her instrument remains as beautiful as ever, though with increased range and confidence. It retains its purity and color which is a rare gift. Moreover, Faryl’s passion for music remains the same. “Music is such a big part of my life and has given me some experiences so far that I will never forget.”
Speaking of the future Faryl says, “I would hopefully like to be accepted into a music conservatory at some point, just to get as much training and knowledge as I can. All of the conservatories are at the same standard so it would just be great to attend any of them.”
When questioned about the direction of her music Faryl is open to both continuing a recording career and pursuing the operatic stage. “I don’t know what will happen in the future. I didn’t think that I would be signed to Decca and have released two albums by the age of fourteen, so I never know what to expect anymore! I love performing and I think that I always will. I think that it would be great to have a part in an opera one day. I watch the professional opera singers and aspire to be as good as them in the future.”
Her conscientious choices to protect her voice so far seem to indicate that Faryl will indeed have a long career as a singer perhaps even in opera. She offers the following advice to other young performances.
“Try to get as much experience in performing as you can, as it will bring your confidence out. Join choirs in your area, it’s always great to be part of a group and makes the experience fun when you’re with friends too. Most importantly, enjoy it.”
To keep up-to-date with Faryl’s career visit farylmusic.co.uk
