''In Dreams'' is the debut album by

Joseph McManners Joseph McManners (born 3 December 1992) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Personal life McManners is the son of musician and writer Hugh McManners and Deborah McManners.Interview from thLimited Edition Japanese DVD releaseo ...

and it was released on 5 December 2005 by

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...

following a £2 million 4-album record deal.sound generator - Joseph McManners - In Dreams review
(accessed 28 August 2006). The album features covers of mostly solo renditions of classical songs but it also features a duet with

Jo Appleby Jo Appleby (born 7 April 1974) is an English soprano from Thornton, Lancashire, England. She is a former member of operatic pop group Amici Forever. Life Jo Appleby was born in Blackpool, Lancashire. She began studying opera, aged nineteen, at ...

. Album page on official website
(accessed 28 August 2006). It was mostly well received by critics.

Background

The album, produced by Nick Patrick, is a collection of songs McManners particularly likes or ones that have special meaning to him. For example, the songs "Bright Eyes" and "Walking in the Air" were included because of their sentimental value. They remind him of how he used to watch ''

Watership Down ''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Berkshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural ...

'' and how he used to watch ''

The Snowman ''The Snowman'' is a 1982 British animated television film based on Raymond Briggs's 1978 picture book ''The Snowman.'' It was directed by Dianne Jackson for Channel 4. It was first shown on 26 December 1982, and was an immediate success. It wa ...

'' each Christmas Day with his mother. "Where is Love" and "The Little Prince Song" are important because they were key elements to the start of his career. About the name of the album McManners said: The album was recorded in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

and the music was provided by the

Prague Philharmonic Orchestra The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra was established in 1995, under the German conductor Friedemann Riehle. The orchestra has since produced many classical and film music recordings, working with labels such as Decca Records, Decca, EMI, Sony BMG a ...

.Joseph McManners biography
at Sony BMG.co.uk (accessed 28 August 2006).

Critical recognition

The album received a nomination for "Album of the Year" at the 2006 Classical Brit AwardsThe BPI Unveils Nominees for The Classical Brit Awards 2006
(published 11 April 2006; accessed 28 August 2006). and McManners' rendition of "Bright Eyes" from the album has debuted at "number one" in Asian airplay, ahead of

James Blunt James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...

and

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

.Number 1 Airplay
at Sony BMG.co.uk (accessed 28 August 2006).

Track listing

Information was retrieved from McManners' official website.Track listings
at josephmcmanners.co.uk. (accessed 28 August 2006)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:In Dreams 2005 debut albums Sony BMG albums Joseph McManners albums