Onward is Alfie Boe's third studio album, the first was in association with Classic FM who kicked off his recording career, the following two were made after signing to the EMI Classics label. Born in 1973 in Lancashire his humble upbringing in a largely non-musical environment make his progression from apprentice worker in a TVR car factor to leading tenor in the Broadway production of `La Boheme' all the more remarkable.
The album is mostly a collection of well known pieces which will be familiar to those unaccustomed to classical music or opera, giving it broad appeal to a wide listening audience.
The sleeve notes provide a one or two line commentary on each track explaining the reason for choosing them, and some background to their appeal to the singer. The album is dedicated to his mother, who painted a special version of the Fleetwood Marine Hall's crest which is reproduced on the rear of the album booklet - it's entitled `Onward' hence the origin of the album's title.
For me the entire album is enjoyable, but if I were to pick a few stand out favourites they would be `Be Still My Soul' (from Sibelius Finlandia) for its subtlety, `I Vow To Thee My Country' for its patriotism, and `You'll Never Walk Alone' performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic which the singer reveals was sung while wearing a Liverpool scarf on the day Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0. Now that's a star singer with his feet on the ground!
I saw Alfie Boe raise the roof and prompt a standing ovation following his emotional performance of `Nessun Dorma' (which he dedicated to the recently departed Pavarotti) at The Royal Albert Hall in 2007. His talent is unquestioned and he has deservedly become a firmly established and a respected name in the world of opera, where his future surely lies.