Masked Singer star and Walking in The Air singer Aled Jones to perform at Portsmouth Cathedral with Carly Paoli | Interview

Back in 1985 he achieved chart fame with his cover of Walking in The Air – the song from the classic animated film The Snowman.

He has gone on to sell more than 10m albums, with more than 40 silver, gold and platinum discs to date.

As the original classical crossover star, he has performed for the pope and members of the royal family, and in 2013 was awarded an MBE for services to music, broadcasting and charity.

He has also had an extensive career as a TV and radio presenter, hosting Songs of Praise on BBC1 for almost 20 years, as well as hosting the most-listened to show on a Sunday on Classic FM.

Last month he even appeared as a giant traffic cone on the hit ITV show The Masked Singer.

But it is the music which has remained the constant.

And the experiences of the past two years have brought home to Aled just how important music is to him.

He is currently on a 24-date UK tour of cathedrals, which comes to Portsmouth’s Anglican Cathedral later this month.

Talking with The Guide shortly before the tour begins, Aled says: ‘I can't wait to get back on tour – it's been a long time, it's been postponed twice so it's very much a case of third time lucky.

‘It's been really weird – there's no denying it's been unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life. I've always sung, since I was a little kid I've sung professionally, and then all of a sudden you're not able to do it.

‘I suppose it's like everything else, the moment something is taken away from you that you love so much... singing is like breathing to me, I've done it all my life. I've sung around the house during the pandemic, and for pleasure privately, but not publicly at all.

‘This is definitely the longest period I've been without singing on stage. In that respect it's been hell on earth, but I was always hopeful that the day would come when I would be back on tour, back doing what I love, and it's made me realise more than anything else that singing is my number one passion.

‘I do the radio and TV and everything else, but the singing is where it's at for me, really.’

Originally from Bangor, Wales, but now living in London, Aled decided to try something new while we were locked down – writing.

‘I decided to learn how to write children's books, so I wrote a children's novel,’ Bobby Dean Saves Christmas came out last October.

‘I've just finished my second one, and now I'm planning the third one, so that's kept me very busy, having to learn something from scratch, learning how to write dialogue and stuff for kids.’

But now it’s back to the music.

‘I've done a mini cathedral tour before, and in a lazy way, the soundcheck was the easiest thing in the world – you walk into these places, sing one note and go: “Yep, that'll do!”

‘They all different though, they're all different sizes, the vibe in them is different, but they all have one thing in common, and that's great acoustics and amazing architecture.

‘I just fancied doing a bit of a longer tour – we're going to 24 cathedrals all over the United Kingdom, so it's going to be some undertaking, but I'm just really looking forward to it, and having a really fun evening of lots of jokes, lots of funny stories and yeah, bringing my music to people again.

‘It's going to be very emotional on this tour – the fact that it's in the cathedrals as well, everything fits into place.

‘It's a mixture of everything, it's not just solemn church music, it's pop, it's inspirational stuff like You Raise Me Up – all sorts of music.

‘There are a couple I haven't sung in publicly before, but a lot of them I've been to because of my work through Songs of Praise and stuff like that, but this is what I love. One minute you can be in Winchester, the next you're in Ely or Liverpool, then you're in Portsmouth – each day is different, and all of these places have something unique about them.’

The tour will see Aled perform tracks from his most recent album Blessings, which features songs from a range of different faiths – Quaker, Christian, Catholic, Muslim and Buddhism – including uplifting hymns, texts and scriptures set to music.

Having reached the top of the UK Classical Chart upon its release in 2020 it features best-loved classics including How Can I Keep From Singing?, Sunrise Sunset, Ave Maria and Bless This House.

Explaining the idea behind the album, Aled says: ‘I've always been a firm believer that the core of all of these different faiths is love, kindness and compassion, so I wanted to put an album together where I could sing Muslim piece, or a Quaker piece, or a Jewish piece, and it worked really well.

‘I was really proud that I got to work with Sami Yusuf who's one of the biggest Muslim singers in the world, and the song we did together seemed to really resonate with people of the Muslim faith and the Christian faith – and that's basically what the album was about.’

Dame Judi Dench, a Quaker, also guests on the album, on the track How Can I Keep From Singing?

‘To have someone like Judi Dench on there is just a dream come true. Judi's a mate of mine, and even with her being a friend I wasn't totally convinced that she'd say "yes” to it, but she did. Once I knew I had her in the can, I knew it would work.

‘We've known each other for over 20 years, so I went down to her house and recorded her doing her bits for the album and it was great. It's always a fun time with Judi anyway.’

Because the album was recorded during the pandemic, the vast majority was done remotely.

‘The producer was in New Zealand, the orchestra was all over the world – I didn't meet up with any of the guests except for Judi. Everyone else was recorded remotely, but that was how it had to be done.

‘I used a tiny little vocal booth in Acton in London that remained open during the pandemic, so I sneaked in there when we were allowed.

‘I was very lucky that we were able to put the album out during lockdown and it does resonate with people.

‘It was supposed to bring everyone together at the time when the world needed to be together. I think that's one of the positive things that's come out of this pandemic, is that people are kinder to one another, and that's exactly what Blessings is about.’

He is joined on tour by Brit Nominee, soprano Carly Paoli. Her new album, Carly Paoli & Friends is a selection of duets ranging across various musical genres, including Aled in a new version of the Irish hymn, Be Thou My Vision.

‘I've known the people who look after Carly for many, many years, so I've bumped into her several times over the years and worked with her before. It seemed the most natural thing to do to ask her if she wanted to support me.

‘We'll sing a couple of numbers together and she's great. She loves what she does as well, and is always a lot of fun, which is exactly what you need on tour.’

And what is his relationship like now with the song he remains forever tied to – Walking In The Air?

‘I don't really mind it now. when I was a kid I got embarrassed, but now I approach it like a proud grandfather. It was a long time ago, and I'm very privileged that I'm still part of people's Christmases, so I don't mind it one bit. It's Christmas staple now.’

When we think that was approaching 40 years ago, and he’s spent most of his life in the public eye, he laughs: ‘It's kind of scary isn't it? Time goes fast, doesn't it?

‘I have known no different since I was a kid, really. I haven't actively tried to be in the public eye, I've just carried on doing what I've done.

‘I haven't really progressed that much – I'm still singing the same sort of music I did back then.

‘The nature of what I do means I am in the public eye, but I don't want to be actively "famous", I never have. I'm actually quite a shy person.

‘It's a case of: I do what I do, and I get on with it.

‘I don't really go to showbiz parties or anything like that, I tend to do my work and come home, which is how it's always been really!

Aled Jones is at Portsmouth Cathedral on Saturday, March 19. Go to premier.ticketek.co.uk.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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