Blake are a British vocal group. Blake comprises three men whose friendship and musical careers date back to their schooldays. After reuniting via Facebook as adults"Walshe, Barbara
Blake hitting the high notes
", www.coutts.com. Retrieved on 4 March 2009. they recorded their first album in six months. That album, Blake, went straight to number one in the UK Classical Album Chart and into the Top Twenty Album Chart. Their career took off, a series of highlights, some of which are recorded below.

History

2008-2009 The first album, Blake, received the

Classical Brit Award The Classic BRIT Awards (previously Classical BRIT Awards) are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of European classical music, classical and Classical crossover, crossover music, and are the equivalent of popu ...

for Album of the Year in 2008. Their second album, And So It Goes, peaked at No. 12 in the UK album chart and No.1 in several classical charts around the world. During 2008 and 2009 the group undertook tours of Australia and Japan. 2009 continued with a tour, the creation of their new record label, Blake Records, and the release of their third album, Together. They finished 2009 with a 30-night tour in Scandinavia. 2010 In 2010 ‘Beautiful Earth’ was selected by the World Wildlife Fund as its Earth Hour Anthem, and their album Together reached No. 1 in the Australian Classical Charts and No. 1 in the South African Classical Charts. Blake took their ‘An Evening With Blake’ show to over 40 locations throughout the UK, performing to over 50,000 people. They were invited to Buckingham Palace twice. 2011 Blake released ‘All of Me’, written by Simon May. They had over 90 live concert appearances, début tours of the Philippines and Russia and they headlined the Henley Festival. They also performed for Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco. 2012 They toured China and the US for the first time and returned to the Philippines for 20 concerts. In addition to long hours in the recording studio working on their fourth album the group also found time for a performance at the Olympic Stadium in the run-up to the 2012 Games. 2013 Blake launched their fourth album Start Over in the UK and the USA. The year also saw performances at Wembley Stadium for the Rugby League Cup final, the group's first play-listed song on BBC Radio 2 (‘So Happy’), tours to Indonesia and Trinidad & Tobago plus the launch of their first Asia-only album. Towards the end of 2013 the band launched two charity singles. ‘You Raise Me Up’ was recorded with the soprano

Camilla Kerslake Camilla Kerslake is an English classical crossover singer from London who was the first signing to Gary Barlow's record label.

and the ‘Sing To Beat Breast Cancer Choir’ made up entirely of women affected by the disease, and it was released in October shortly before a 20 date UK tour where Camilla appeared as their guest artist. ‘To The Sun’ was released in November and debuted live in Trafalgar Square as the anthem for the launch of the Walking With The Wounded South Pole challenge in the presence of Prince Harry. 2014 After a series of tours and concerts Blake released their fifth album 'In Harmony'. 2015 Blake again toured throughout the UK. They also played at the famous Holders Festival in Barbados. They funded their first independent album, A Classic Christmas on

PledgeMusic PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist p ...

. The 2015 Christmas Special Blake teamed up with Dame

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...

for a version of 'The Christmas Song' (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) which appeared on their first Christmas album. Dame Shirley explains how the collaboration came about: “Blake sang Moon River at my 70th birthday party, and then we met again at the reception of (the charity)

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

’s 70th anniversary six months ago. Ollie mentioned singing a Christmas song together, and I said I’ve never done a Christmas song before!” The Anniversary Album In Spring 2018 Blake celebrated their 10th anniversary with a brand new album recorded in collaboration with the Central Band of the RAF and singers from the Miltitary Wives Choirs. The thirteen track album was recorded in various locations around the UK, notably RAF Northolt and Sonica Studios. With big arrangements, including full orchestra and choir, the album recreates the lush classical-crossover feel of their debut album 'Blake' from 2007, but updated for the trio harmony sound they apply now. The album was partly funded by Blake fans from all over the world via PledgeMusic with a percentage of all funds raised going to the RAF charitable trust. This is Blake's first classically eligible album since the release of 'Together' in 2009 on Blake/EMI records.

Charities

Blake are also ambassadors for certain charities, which include, amongst others, Cancer Research, The War Widows Association, The World Wildlife Fund, Clic Sargent, The Prince's Trust, Variety (The Children's Charity), MIND, Starlight, The Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes. The band continue to do much work for military charities, performing at the opening of the Bomber Command Memorial in London for the Queen and 5,000 veterans in the summer of 2012. In June 2020 Blake will be performing a concert in aid of The Rose Berney Memorial Fund, at Bracon Hall, Norfolk. The performance which is being organised in association with Norfolk Community Foundation is raising money for mental health support and suicide prevention in Norfolk in memory of group member Humphrey Berney's sister.

Current members

Oliver Baines

Oliver "Ollie" Baines (tenor), born 23 November 1982 in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, received classical music training from the age of 8 as a

chorister A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

at both

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

and

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

. He was educated at New College School, an

independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

in Oxford, to which he won a choral scholarship, followed by The Pilgrim’s School, Winchester, then

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

, an

in the

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

Marlborough, Wiltshire Marlborough ( , ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the England, English Counties of England, county of Wiltshire on the A4 road (England), Old Bath Road, the old main road from London to Bath, Somerset, Bath. Th ...

. He was a member of the

National Youth Choir of Great Britain The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain (NYCGB) is the family of choirs for outstanding young singers, and those with outstanding potential, in the United Kingdom. It comprises a total of five choirs for around 750 young people between the ages ...

from 1999 until 2005. Aside from vocal training, Baines also learned the

French Horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

and the

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

, as well as the piano. He studied degrees in

Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

and

Music Technology Music technology is the study or the use of any device, mechanism, machine or tool by a musician or composer to make or perform music; to compose, notate, playback or record songs or pieces; or to analyze or edit music. History The earlies ...

, and whilst at University sang with the choirs of

Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...

and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

before going on to study at the

British Institute of Florence The British Institute of Florence is a cultural institute founded in 1917 in Florence, Italy, with the aim of promoting Anglo-Italian cultural relations, teaching English and Italian languages, and running a library of English books to illustrate B ...

and the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

. He was formerly a Maths and English Tutor. He has been producer of many of Blake’s later records, as well as de facto musical director. Blake Biography
www.classicsandjazz.co.uk. Retrieved on 4 March 2009.

Humphrey Berney

Humphrey "Barney" Berney (tenor), born Humphrey Berney on 26 July 1980, is a classically trained opera singer who joined the group in 2009 to replace Dominic Tighe.Walker, Ti

26 February 2009.

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

. Retrieved on 4 March 2009. He made his recording debut on

Hayley Westenra Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987) is a New Zealand classical crossover singer and songwriter. Her first internationally released album, ''Pure'', reached number one on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million c ...

's album ''

Treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...

''. Berney was educated at

Taverham Hall School , established = Founded as Taverham Hall 1920Merged with Langley Prep 2016 , type = Independentday and boarding school , religious_affiliation = Anglican , head_label = Headmaster , head ...

, an

in the city of

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

in eastern England, followed by

Gresham's School Gresham's School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent Day school, day and boarding school) in Holt, Norfolk, Holt, Norfolk, England, one of the top thirty International Bac ...

, an

in the

of Holt (also in Norfolk), and completed his training at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

in 2005. He has sung throughout Europe. Operatic roles include Macheath ('' The Beggars Opera''), Alfred (''

Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original ...

'') and Monostatos (''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...

'') for

Glyndebourne Opera Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, e ...

and

Garsington Opera Garsington Opera is an annual summer opera festival founded in 1989 by Leonard Ingrams. The Philharmonia Orchestra and The English Concert are its two resident orchestras. For 21 years it was held in the gardens of Ingrams's home at Garsington ...

. Barney also appeared in

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

's opera film ''View from the Moon''. Following a search on the social networking website

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

, Barney joined the group in February 2009.

Stephen Bowman

Stephen Bowman (bass-baritone), born 22 August 1980 in Bath, was educated at St. Stephen's Church of England Primary School, a

voluntary aided school A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation), contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. In mo ...

in the city of Bath in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

in south-west England, followed by

Prior Park College Prior Park College is a mixed Roman Catholic public school for both day and boarding students. Situated on a hill overlooking the city of Bath, Somerset, in southwest England, Prior Park has been designated by Historic England as a Grade I li ...

, a Roman Catholic

(also in Bath). He won a coveted place at the

at the age of only 17. Bowman was born in the city of Bath to an opera trained mother and a rock guitar playing father, who both tried their best to interest a young Stephen in their preferred genres. Stephen didn't actually realise he could sing until after his voice broke and the head of music at Prior Park College heard him singing a school hymn at double the volume of all the other students. Accepting the chance to audition for a place in the schools chapel choir, Stephen started training as a baritone with vocal coach Rachel Bevan. Whilst developing as a young classical singer, Stephen was then pulled towards blues and rock music, joining bands in the Bath area. Around the time of his A-levels he began song writing and creating electronic music in a home studio, learning the production and song creation tools he'd later use in the industry. In 1997 Stephen was granted a place at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music & Drama (at 17 years old, the youngest ever Baritone to be granted a place at that time). Moving to London and training for three years at GSMD college, Stephen left before starting his 4th year to undertake an experimental recording project with Sony Classical records called Coeur de Lion - a classical 5 piece male singing group that covered light opera classics. After this project, Stephen decided to move back to Bath to take a side step into the world of computing & marketing (indulging his openly geeky side) whilst continuing to song write and record music in the evenings. In 2005 he finished a collection of songs with the help and guidance of previous members of Bath synth-pop group Tears for Fears. Stephen continued to write and perform whilst building up his own marketing company, before bumping into Ollie Baines in early 2007. A discussion about forming a group was had and the search was on for likeminded friends to join them. Stephen has been a founding member of Blake since April 2007 and continues to sing with them all over the world. In his spare time he is a keen motorcyclist, skier and technologist. In 2016 he started his own VR company, producing unique experiences based on music, gaming and relaxation.

Previous members

Dominic Tighe

Dominic Tighe (baritone), born 20 April 1983 in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, is a talented singer and established actor. He was educated at Newton Ferrers Primary School in the English south-west coastal city of

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

, and became a chorister at Buckfast Abbey School, a former

Buckfastleigh Buckfastleigh is a market town and civil parish in Devon, England situated beside the Devon Expressway ( A38) at the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. It is part of Teignbridge and, for ecclesiastical purposes, lies within the Totnes Deanery ...

(also in Devon), which closed in 1994, followed by

Downside School Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent boarding and day school in the English public school tradition for pupils aged 11 to 18. It is located between Bath, Frome, Wells and Bruton, and is attached to Downside Abbey. Originall ...

, an

Stratton-on-the-Fosse Stratton-on-the-Fosse is a village and civil parish located on the edge of the Mendip Hills, south-west of Westfield, north-east of Shepton Mallet, and from Frome, in Somerset, England. It has a population of 1,108, and has a rural agricultu ...

(also in south-west England), where he recorded three albums at

Downside Abbey Downside Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in England and the senior community of the English Benedictine Congregation. Until 2019, the community had close links with Downside School, for the education of children aged eleven to eighteen. Both t ...

. He sang at the Queen's private 80th birthday celebrations, and has also sung for Prince Edward and

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

. He was a member of the

National Youth Theatre The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and registered charity in London. Its aim is to develop and nurture young people through creative arts and theatrical productions. Founded in 1956 as the world's first youth th ...

for seven years, before studying at the Central School of Speech and Drama. After graduating, Tighe was acting for two years, working with

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of ...

Edward Hall Edward Hall ( – ) was an English lawyer and historian, best known for his ''The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke''—commonly known as ''Hall's Chronicle''—first published in 1548. He was also sever ...

and

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...

, among others. He came straight from a world tour with the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary * Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

to record Blake's debut album. In 2009, Tighe announced that he was leaving the band to return to his acting career. In 2010 he appeared in Trevor Nunn's revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''Aspects of Love'' at the Menier Chocolate Factory, and in 2014 he appeared in ''Sunny Afternoon'', a musical based on the career of

The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...

, at the

Hampstead Theatre Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in South Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. Roxana Silbert has been the artistic director since ...

Jules Knight

Discography

* ''Blake'' (2007) #18 UK * ''And So It Goes'' (2008) #14 UK, #58 AUS * ''Together'' (2009) #38 UK #96 AUS * ''The OPM Album'' EP (2013) * ''A Classic Christmas'' (2015)

''Blake'' (2007)

Following numerous television appearances, and singing at venues as diverse as

Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium () in Twickenham, south-west London, England, is a rugby union stadium owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), English rugby union governing body, which has its headquarters there. The England national rugby union team play ...

and Waterloo railway station, the group were caught up in a "whirlwind of public attention". Celebrities such as

Keira Knightley Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...

Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...

all proclaimed their support for the band, and

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, Oscars and four Grammy Awards, Grammys, and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmys and a Tony Awar ...

asked them to sing on the soundtrack to ''

The Da Vinci Code ''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon: the first was his 2000 novel ''Angels & Demons''. ''The Da Vinci Code'' follows symbologist Robert Langdon ...

'' film sequel, ''

Angels & Demons ''Angels & Demons'' is a 2000 bestselling mystery- thriller novel written by American author Dan Brown and published by Pocket Books and then by Corgi Books. The novel introduces the character Robert Langdon, who recurs as the protagonist of B ...

'', after hearing their arrangement of his theme for ''

Gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...

''.Official website:Biography
www.blakeofficial.com. Retrieved on 4 March 2009. Their debut album was released on 5 November 2007 and immediately went to the top of the UK Classical Album charts, and reached the top 20 of the UK Pop Album chart. The "polished fusion" of classical and pop, as heard in arrangements of the

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

' hit "

God Only Knows "God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album '' Pet Sounds''. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, it is a Baroque-style love song distinguished for its harmonic innovation and its subversion of typi ...

", the themes to Gladiator, 1492 Conquest of Paradise and several classical favourites recorded with the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

proved a huge hit, and the album went

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

within three weeks. Early in 2008, the album was nominated for a

Classical BRIT Award The Classic BRIT Awards (previously Classical BRIT Awards) are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of European classical music, classical and Classical crossover, crossover music, and are the equivalent of popu ...

and was named "Album of the Year" in May. It was only the second time in nine years that the award for best album, as voted for by listeners to Classic FM, was won by a debut album (following

Russell Watson Russell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. He began singing as a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club. He came to attention in 1999 when he sang "God ...

's ''

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

'' in 2001).

Track list

# "Yo Te Voy Amar (

I'll Make Love To You "I'll Make Love to You" is a 1994 number-one hit single by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. The song, which was written by Babyface, was the lead single from their second album, '' II'' (1994). It was a commercial success, sp ...

)" # "In Paradisium (

)" # "

Moon River "Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie ''Breakfast at Tiffany's (film), Breakfast at Tiffany's'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original ...

" # " 1492 Conquest of Paradise" # "

" # "I Knew I Loved You (Deborah's Theme)" # "

Hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' ( ; he, ''haləlū-Yāh'', meaning "praise Yah") is an interjection used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four tim ...

" # "Ashokan Farewell" # "Celebration" # "

Vide Cor Meum ''Vide cor meum'' (See my heart) is an aria composed by Irish composer Patrick Cassidy based on Dante Alighieri's '' Vita Nova'', specifically on the sonnet ''A ciascun'alma presa'', third chapter. Composition The song was performed by Libera / ...

" # " Swing Low Sweet Chariot" # "E Sara Cosi" # "

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

" # "Toglimi Il Respiro (

Take My Breath Away "Take My Breath Away" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 film ''Top Gun'', performed by American new wave band Berlin. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best ...

)" # Bonus Track: "

In the Bleak Midwinter "In the Bleak Midwinter" is a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti, commonly performed as a Christmas carol. The poem was published, under the title "A Christmas Carol", in the January 1872 issue of ''Scribner's Monthly,'' and was first c ...

''And So It Goes'' (2008)

Blake's second album contains a wider range of material than the debut album. There are no film score arrangements this time, but tracks range from "

Chasing Cars "Chasing Cars" is a song by Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, '' Eyes Open'' (2006). It was released on 6 June 2006, in the United States and 24 July ...

" by

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...

, through to the arrangement of "Sancta Maria" from the opera ''

Cavalleria Rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; Italian for "rustic chivalry") is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 short story of the same name and subsequent play b ...

'' and the negro-spiritual "

Steal Away "Steal Away" ("Steal Away to Jesus") is an American Negro spiritual. The song is well known by variations of the chorus: Songs such as "Steal Away to Jesus", "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Wade in the Water" and the " Gospel Train" are songs with ...

". Knight explained that the album has "a different sound to it, it's more contemporary, more pop-py. Combining both classical sounds and pop sounds is a winning combination, and we’ve taken it a lot further on this album."

Track list

# "Look to the Mountains" # "

And So It Goes "And So It Goes" is a song written by Billy Joel in 1983, though it was not released until six years later. It appeared as the tenth and final track of his 1989 studio album '' Storm Front''. The original 1983 demo was released on the 2005 box se ...

" # "

Wild Mountain Thyme "Wild Mountain Thyme" (also known as "Purple Heather" and "Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?") is a Scottish/Irish folk song. The lyrics and melody are a variant of the song "The Braes of Balquhither" by Scottish poet Robert Tannahill (1774–1810) and S ...

" # "Because We Believe" # "

Up Where We Belong "Up Where We Belong" is a song written by Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Will Jennings that was recorded by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes for the 1982 film '' An Officer and a Gentleman''. Warnes was recommended to sing a song from the f ...

" # "

" # " Heaven Can Wait" # " Closest Thing to Crazy" # "Fantasia Prelude" # "

Nella Fantasia "" ("In My Fantasy") is a song sung in Italian based on the theme "Gabriel's Oboe" from the film '' The Mission'' (1986). With music by composer Ennio Morricone and lyrics by Chiara Ferraù, "" is popular among classical crossover singers, and was ...

" # " Time to Say Goodbye" # "Sancta Maria" (

Intermezzo In music, an intermezzo (, , plural form: intermezzi), in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work. In music history, the term ha ...

from ''

'' by Mascagni)

''Together'' (2009)

The third album, ''Together'', and the first to include Berney, was released on 12 October. The album again contains tracks from several genres, including opera, musical theatre, film themes and pop songs. The album was recorded with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra with arranger Paul Bateman, once again produced by Nick Patrick and Adrian Munsey. The album was nominated for "Album of the Year" at the 2010 Classical BRITs. The album was released on the band's own independent label, Blake Records, distributed by EMI Label Services.

Track list

# "

With or Without You "With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their fifth studio album, '' The Joshua Tree'' (1987), and was released as the album's lead single on 16 March 1987. The song was the group's most successful sing ...

" – U2 # "Bring Him Home" (''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'') # " Bridge over Troubled Water" –

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

# " Abide with Me" # "

La Califfa ''La califfa'' (English: ''Lady Caliph'') is a 1970 Franco-Italian social drama film written and directed by Alberto Bevilacqua. It was entered into the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Plot In the Emilia province of Italy, out of solidarity with t ...

" –

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...

# "

She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...

" (featuring Julian Smith, saxophone) –

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

# "

I Vow To Thee, My Country "I Vow to Thee, My Country" is a British patriotic hymn, created in 1921, when music by Gustav Holst had a poem by Sir Cecil Spring Rice set to it. The music originated as a wordless melody, which Holst later named "Thaxted", taken from the " ...

" –

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

# " She Was Beautiful (Cavatina)" –

Stanley Myers Stanley Myers (6 October 19309 November 1993) was an English composer and conductor, who scored over sixty films and television series, working closely with filmmakers Nicolas Roeg, Jerzy Skolimowski and Volker Schlöndorff. He is best known fo ...

# "

Ave Maria The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary's s ...

" –

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

# "

Nessun Dorma "" (; English: "Let no one sleep") is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera ''Turandot'' (text by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni) and one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, (the unknown prince), ...

" (''

Turandot ''Turandot'' (; see below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, posthumously completed by Franco Alfano in 1926, and set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. ''Turandot'' best-known aria is "Nessun dorma", whi ...

'') –

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long li ...

# "Unsung Hero" (featuring

Caroline Redman Lusher Caroline Redman Lusher (born Caroline Anne Lusher, 17 April 1974) is an English singer and musician, best known for being the founder and director of Rock Choir, the world's largest amateur contemporary choir. She is considered to be "responsi ...

) –

Denise Rich Denise Rich (born Eisenberg; January 26, 1944) is an American-born Austrian singer-songwriter, socialite, philanthropist and political fundraiser.Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...

" -

Vangelis Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou ( el, Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; el, Βαγγέλης, links=no ), was a Greek composer and arranger of ...

# "

When a Child Is Born "When A Child Is Born" is a popular Christmas song. The original melody was "Soleado", a tune from 1974 by Ciro Dammicco (alias Zacar), composer for Italy's Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble, and Dario Baldan Bembo. The tune was based on Damicco's earlie ...

" –

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

(Christmas bonus track)Together:Blake

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...

. Retrieved on 2 August 2009. Special edition (remixed and remastered), released 22 March 2010.Together (Special Edition)
www.amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 19 May 2010.

"Here's to the Heroes" – John Barry ( Band of Brothers theme)
"Voice of an Angel"
"Beautiful Earth"

References

External links

Official website

Official Australian website
*
Official fansite

Official Record Label Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blake Musical groups established in 2007 Musical quartets