Aled Jones (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality and broadcaster who first came to fame as a boy soprano. He is the only child of Nest and Derek Jones, was raised in the small Welsh-speaking community of Llandegfan, in Anglesey and attended Ysgol David Hughes. He is now notable for presenting Songs of Praise on BBC 1,BBC Radio 2's Good Morning Sunday and The Choir on BBC Radio 3.Contents [hide] 1 Biography 2 Private Life 3 Discography 3.1 Albums 3.2 Singles 3.3 Talking books 4 References 5 External links
[edit] Biography
Jones was born in St. Davids Hospital in Bangor, Wales, the son of Nest (Rowlands), a teacher, and Derek John Jones, a draughtsman for a shipbuilder.[1] Jones joined the choir of Bangor Cathedral at age nine and was Lead Soloist within two years, although he never made Head Chorister. The remarkable clarity of his treble voice was appreciated by a member of the congregation, Hefina Orwig Evans, who wrote a letter to local record company Sain, and he was duly signed. In 1982 he won the Cerdd Dant solo competitions for competitors under 12 at the Urdd Eisteddfod.
He is best known for his cover version of "Walking in the Air", the song from Channel 4's 1982 animated film The Snowman, based on the book by Raymond Briggs. The song reached No. 5 in the UK charts in 1985. Contrary to popular belief, the version in the film was not performed by Jones, but by Peter Auty, a St. Paul's Cathedral choirboy.
His recording career was temporarily halted when his voice broke at sixteen. By this time he had sold more than six million albums and sung for Pope John Paul II, the Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales in a private recital, as well as presenting numerous children's television programmes. He also had the distinction of being the first artist to have two classical albums listed simultaneously in the popular music charts.
He went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, before beginning his adult recording career, with a largely religious/inspirational repertoire. In 1995 he took the leading role in the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
He also worked with Mike Oldfield ("Pictures in the Dark") and Leonard Bernstein ("Chichester Psalms"). In 1986 he sang the oratorio Athalia with Emma Kirkby.
He has recorded twenty-four albums to date, many of which reached gold or platinum status in the UK and Australia. He performs as a lyric baritone, though he has expressed a desire to move into the traditional register of the tenor.
He was a presenter on Classic FM as well as on Welsh radio (BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru) and television (S4C). In 2006 he joined the BBC, taking over from Don Maclean on Good Morning Sunday on BBC Radio 2 and The Choir on BBC Radio 3.
In 2005 he launched his eponymous autobiography, written in collaboration with Darren Henley.
[edit] Private Life
While touring through Blackpool in 1995, Aled met his future wife, Claire Fossett. The couple married in 2001 and now live in London with their two children, Emilia and Lucas.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums Diolch â Chân (1983) Ave Maria (1984) Voices from the Holy Land (1985), also on VHS All Through The Night (1985), UK #2 Carols for Christmas (Christmas Album) (1985), also on DVD Aled Jones With The BBC Welsh Chorus (1985) UK #11 Aled - Music from the TV Series (1986) Where E'er You Walk (1986) UK #36 Pie Jesu (1986) UK #25 An Album Of Hymns (1986) UK #18 Handel: Athalia (1986) Sailing (1987) Faure: Requiem Bernstein: Chichester Psalms (1986) The Best of Aled Jones BBC Records(1985) The Best of Aled Jones 10 Records (1987) The Very Best of Aled Jones (1988) From the Heart (2000), as baritone Aled (2002) UK #27 Hear My Prayer (2003), as boy soprano Higher (2003) UK #21 This includes a guest track with Julian Lloyd Webber The Christmas Album (2004) UK #28 A Journey With Aled Jones (2005) Aled (Re-issue) (2005) UK #33 New Horizons (2005) UK #21 You Raise Me Up – The Best of Aled Jones (2006) Reason To Believe (2007)
[edit] Singles "Ave Maria" (1985) "Memory" (1985) "Too Young to Know" (1985) "Walking in the Air" (1985) UK #5 "Pictures in the Dark" (with Mike Oldfield) (1985) "Morning Has Broken" (1986) "A Winter Story" (1986) "I'm in This Over My Head" (1998) "Some Kind of Wonderful" (duet with Cerys Matthews) (10 October 2007) "Little Drummer Boy" (with Terry Wogan) (2008) #3
[edit] Talking books The Story of Classical Music (2004) Famous Composers (2005) The Story of Jesus (2006)
