Track Listing

1. Yo Te Voy A Amar
2. In Paradisum (Gladiator)
3. Moon River
4. 1492
5. God Only Knows
6. I Knew I Loved You
7. Hallelujah
8. Ashokan Farewell
9. Celebration
10. Vide Cor Meum
11. Swing Low
12. E Sara Cosi
13. Jerusalem
14. Toglimi Il Respiro

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1177 in Music
• Released on: 2007-11-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 52 minutes

CD Description
Debut album from classical-crossover act that famously formed on Facebook. A collection of covers that will appeal to fans of Il Divo, Blake are making all the right noises, and this album is sure to prove popular with anybody who is a fanof classical pop music. Includes the tracks 'Moon River', 'I Knew I Loved You' and 'God Only Knows'.

Customer Reviews

More than just a pretty facebook

What would initially appear to be an overnight rise to fame, assuming a best-selling debut album qualifies for that title, is more an inevitable result of the hard work, enthusiasm and an abundance of talent from these four male singers.

Each have a background of academic musical studies and live performances, as soloists and with choirs, which led to degrees of success as individuals even before meeting up on the Facebook website - although they do admit to knowing, or knowing of, each other before that.

Their career took a swift upturn after they made an impromptu performance at a house party and realised that they had a natural chemistry which created a unique sound in terms of vocal harmony. Soon after, the four approached manager Daniel Glatman (Blue and Fron Male Voice Choir) who promptly recognised their talent and found them a record deal with the Universal label.

The result is this debut album, named `Blake' after the English poet William Blake "because he was a man who embraced so many different styles of art and language" says band member Dominic Tighe.

For me, the most surprising aspect of the album is its constant emphasis on the harmony vocals which tend to drive the orchestral accompaniment to the rear of the sound mix. This is in contrast to many of the recent pop/classical artists who often allow the orchestral aspects of the song to be bought to the fore. This vocal emphasis produces a distinctive sound which lends a more personal feel to many of the songs.

Of the songs, they are all chosen by the band themselves and range from the romantically sung (in Italian) `Yo Te Voy a Amar' (I'll Make Love to You) to the dramatic Gladiator film score adaptation `In Paradisum'.

This is a band which has the looks to please a young fan base and the talent to satisfy the demands of a classically critical audience.

What a beautiful album, I'm so proud they're all British!!!!!!
Wow Wow Wow Wow - heard BLAKE on Classic FM this weekend, and ordered the album on Amazon straight away - these guys are REAL singers, with talent!!

No silly gimicks, no daft songs from second rate movies - every song on this album is pure aural gold, from In Paradisum to Vide Cor Meum, if you like movie soundtrack, you will quite simply adore this album, its like a trip through 15 different worlds of music and feeling. The sound quality of the orchestra backing, and the way the 4 lush voices sit in the middle, is nothing short of spell binding. I can't recal who produced this album, but it is quite simply one of the finest pieces of work for 2007 in classical.

If you want a naff album full of second rate tunes, go elsewhere - I've found my new favourite band for 2008, and they don't sing anything except pure gold. This is the way the music industry should go, good quality music, produced with real style and flair. I really do take my hat off to this lot, they deserve to be on every christmas list going.

Not bad coming from a jewish wife eh?

Juliet.

P.S. Thank goodness for REAL British talent!!!!

I'm a new fan
Classical cross over is for me, I love Il Divo and G 4, there are great tunes out there but it takes good voices to make the best of them. I find some of the originial tracks quite boring, but good voices can create a totally new experience. Blake have got it right. Pity that G4 decided to pack it in this year, these guys had some good ideas. Il Divo is a bit operatic for my liking but I do like a lot of the tracks. Blake got it about right on balance, I reommend it to all lovers odf classical crossover.