Katherine Jenkins announces North East tour date

The Welsh singer says her new album Guiding Light, which will be released on November 30, is her “most intimate to date” and it will be supported by a tour next spring, including a date at Sage Gateshead on April 30.

The album will be the latest release from Britain’s best-selling classical artist of the last 25 years.

For Katherine, the new album represents the culmination of a deeply-emotional journey which began when her beloved father, Selwyn, died and found a new path when she became a mother.

It is an album which speaks of life, hope, acceptance and a universal spirituality, and for Katherine there is a sense of a greater purpose to her performance.

The LP includes 15 new tracks featuring Katherine’s personal favourites new and old, from the time-honoured Make Me a Channel of Your Peace and Morning Has Broken to covers of Stormzy’s Blinded By Your Grace and Never Enough from The Greatest Showman, alongside original material including Xander’s Song, written for the newest addition to her family, her son born earlier this year.

She said: “I have a life now I don’t think I ever expected to have. I am very happy, very blessed and I feel incredibly grateful. I feel whole new layers of emotion which have really taken me by surprise and made me feel like I have found myself, found my true voice.

“My voice has changed. This album is the most intimate album I have ever made. It’s a mindful collections of songs.

“I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m not trying to show how many notes I can hit, I just want to take people to a place of emotion and reflection – to touch hearts and souls.”

Last year Katherine was officially crowned The No.1 selling Classical Music Artist of the Last 25 Years by Classic FM, and made chart history when her last album, Celebration, became her 12th UK Classical No.1 album in 12 years. These record-breaking achievements cemented her position as the world’s most prolific artist in UK classical chart history.

Over the years she has performed all over the world, for the Pope, for presidents and is a favourite of the Royal Family, having been invited to sing God Save The Queen at Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, perform at Her Majesty’s Coronation Concerts at Buckingham Palace and more recently, by special request, at Her Majesty’s 90th birthday celebrations at Windsor Castle.

She has had numerous sold-out tours and duetted with such names as Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Bryn Terfel, Rolando Villazon, and Il Divo, amongst others.

Katherine was awarded an OBE at the 2014 New Year’s Honours List for her services to music and charity. Last year, she wowed audiences and critics alike with her stellar performance as Julie Jordan in Lonny Price’s semi-staged production of Carousel at the London Coliseum.

•Katherine Jenkins plays Sage Gateshead on April 30. Tickets for An Evening with Katherine Jenkins, featuring The London Concert Orchestra, go on general sale at 10am on September 7, available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk / www.gigsandtours.com