Natasha Hemmings - Whispers (2019)

Cheshire born Natasha Hemmings cannot remember a life without music. As an active member in her county and school music scene when she was a child some of her earliest memories are from choirs and performance groups that she was a part of.

“I’ve still got some of the songs that I wrote as a child…! And I remember making up and performing songs for the talent shows at my school” explained Natasha when asked about her musical beginnings. “Songwriting has always been a massive part of my life, and I’ve always loved music’s ability to capture and evoke authentic and genuine emotions”.

However, it was at the age of 9 that Natasha, and those around her, began to notice how talented she really was. She started piano lessons and also began to attend a local Stage Training School where she was taught the fundamentals of musical theatre.

At the age of 12, following three years of vocal coaching at stage school, Natasha joined a professional adult choir, and it was here that she met notable Choral and Operatic conductor Oliver Neil Parker. He quickly saw Natasha’s potential and made it clear that if she were to receive the correct training she could be a phenomenal musician and vocalist.

Following this admission she immersed herself in the world of classical music, and after some encouragement from Parker auditioned for the prestigious Junior Royal Northern College of Music, a specialist music college for children and young-adults between five and eighteen years old. Here she was given focused one-on-one vocal tuition, the opportunity to take up an additional instrument (piano), as well as musical workshops, music theory classes, and song writing lessons.

A student here for four years, Natasha was able to develop her technique and understanding of classical and operatic music whilst also exploring different genres and categories of music. Enmeshed in the world of classical music, it was at the age of 16 that Natasha diversified her compositions and became interested in exploring the Pop side of things, and she continued down this vein for a couple of years.

Now 18, Natasha had a difficult decision to make: should she head to a conservatoire and continue pursuing music or go to a University and continuing chasing another of her dreams, English Literature and poetry. Natasha had always been an avid reader and writer of poetry and she loved its ability to capture complex and multifaceted concepts. “My songs often begin with a poem I have created, and the written words allow me to conceptualise what the accompanying music should sound like”, she explains.

Following a discussion with her singing teacher (who said that it might be best to wait a couple of years to allow her voice to fully develop) Natasha made the decision to attend the University of Nottingham and undertake an English Literature and Language undergraduate degree.

However, the move to Nottingham did not go as she had imagined and she struggled to make friends and form connections with her fellow classmates. Her Mum, after hearing that she was struggling with loneliness, decided to find some solutions and entered her into the Miss Cheshire pageant. Natasha was dismissive at first but after some research she recognised that the pageant’s ethos very closely aligned with her own. She realised that there was a great deal of charity work involved and the competition as a whole was focused on health and fitness, building confidence, and making friends.

“I was very impressed with the emphasis that they placed on the talent division and also their attitudes to charity work. I was also encouraged by the removal of the swimsuit round (in favour of a sports themed round)”.

This sealed the deal for Natasha, and she threw herself into preparations for the Pageant. Despite being the underdog of the competition, she won her regional heat and the judges were particularly impressed with her singing in the talent section. This win gave Natasha the opportunity, and the confidence, to compete in Miss England and she, as a result of her stellar scores in the talent division, took the crown once again.

As the reigning Miss England, Natasha was able to work with many different charitable organisations including the official Miss World charity Beauty with a Purpose which raises funds to help disadvantaged children around the globe. She had always had a strong pull towards charity work and being Miss England allowed her to be more involved than she ever thought she could be.

Natasha then went on to compete in the Miss World pageant in China where she placed in the top five in the talent section, and her on screen performance was broadcast to over a billion viewers. Her time spent in China was an extremely formative experience, and it was here that Natasha became determined to succeed in the music industry as well as in the world of Pageants.

Back home, and with a reinvigorated sense of purpose, Natasha began working on her album. She started listening to her favourite classical musicians once more and decided to focus on this genre for her upcoming release. During this time, she also returned to the Royal Northern College to complete her undergraduate degree after her Pageant commitments meant she had to put her academic progress on hold and has just graduated with a degree in Music.

Her new album ‘Whispers’, comprised of some of Natasha’s favourite classical songs, is set to be released later this year and is the next chapter for this talented and ambitious young artist. Its soothing melodies and organic musicality combine to create a sound that is equal parts peaceful and ethereal, and the album as a whole shows the extent of Natasha’s classical knowledge.

Driven by Natasha’s love of literature and poetry, the project features classical songs that she has written lyrics and additional melodies to. For Natasha, the music is the key and she has used the lyrics to help tell the stories that she believes are inherent to the tracks instrumentation.

“I started by listening to the music and trying to imagine the kind of story that it was telling” Natasha explained when asked about the creative process behind the new album”. “I didn’t want to create a naff pop version of these masterpieces, I just wanted to embellish their natural beauty with a fresh twist”.

It was important to Natasha that the songs on the album showcased the beauty and effortlessness of classical music, and she has been careful to preserve and protect the integrity of these masterpieces. However she also wanted to ensure that the tracks captured her delicate and elegant musical style. To help her with this she has enlisted the help of multi Grammy Award winner Jose Feliciano and the lead vocalist of the Irish folk group Clannad, and Enya’s sister, Moya Brennan.

Along with her forthcoming album release, this summer / autumn season will also see Natasha embark on an extensive national tour supporting Aled Jones and Russel Watson. The tour, which starts at the end of September and runs throughout October, will give her the chance to wow fans and new listeners alike with her ethereal and commanding vocals and mesmeric stage presence. Head here for additional ticket information and to see if this talented trio will be performing in a city near you.

Natasha Hemmings will be releasing her first single ‘Summer Shores’ on September 6th, with a number of her other transcendental singles scheduled for release throughout the year. A talented musician and poet, her upcoming offerings are set to reach and exceed her previous successes. “For me, nothing evokes emotion quite like music does” said Natasha when asked about the inspiration behind ‘Whispers’, and the entire album is a homage to this statement.

TRACKLIST

01. Natasha Hemmings - Summer Shores
02. Natasha Hemmings - Autumn Leaves
03. Natasha Hemmings - Easter Song
04. Natasha Hemmings - Whispers
05. Natasha Hemmings - Our Song
06. Natasha Hemmings - Solace
07. Natasha Hemmings - First Love
08. Natasha Hemmings - Valentine
09. Natasha Hemmings - Through a Mother's Eyes
10. Natasha Hemmings - Pilgrims