DIY attitude spawns classical chart success story

1.00pm - By MIKE HOULAHAN

Christchurch teenager Hayley Westenra made banner headlines when she hit number one on Britain's classical music top 50 last year, but she wasn't the only New Zealander riding high in the charts.

Just below Westenra in the charts were Amici Forever - the world's self-proclaimed first "Opera Band" and the brainchild of former Hawke's Bay man Geoff Sewell.

"Her record label were worried about Amici Forever," Sewell says.

"We had a release date in September of last year and they had October. They brought hers forward and we released on the same day, so it was two New Zealanders against each other. She has done phenomenally, and we love catching up with her."

The chart success of the five-strong vocal group - which this week soared to No 2 in the Australian pop charts and sits comfortably in the New Zealand top 20 - is much further along in the story though.

It was also far beyond Sewell's wildest dreams when the former school choir singer moved to Wellington to study accountancy. After four years at a bank he travelled to the United States, and had a road to Damascus moment while visiting Memphis.

Merchant banking was abandoned in favour of music, and Sewell, now 32, studied at the Boston Conservatory before relocating to London and trying to make it either in the West End or in opera houses.

"I had so many auditions, hearing next, next," Sewell recalls.

So, with a commendable can-do Kiwi attitude, Sewell and his partner, Simone Lanham, decided to set up their own entertainment company.

"The reason we did it was because I was being rejected all over the place, and not through lack of trying," Sewell says.

"I thought, well, maybe we can do something here and if you can't beat them let's sing with them. It took six months to set up and we got so many no's from everyone because they wanted to know it had worked on an audience already."

During the process of setting up Amici Forever, Sewell notched up some high profile rejections to add to the numerous audition disappointments - most notably Mike Batt, who has such diverse acts as Vanessa Mae and the Wombles on his CV.

"He looked at me and said 'Do you want to be in the group?'," Sewell says.

"I said yeah, and he said 'Well, it's not going to work because you're too old.' That's just some of the knockbacks you get... we must be doing something right now though."

After two successful years putting singers on stage, Sewell and Lanham decided to record a CD. The demo recording of what was to become Amici Forever's debut album was handed to Arista, and the first steps on the road to success were taken.

Amici Forever - tenor Sewell, South African soprano Tsakane Valentine and English singers David Habbin (tenor), Nick Garrett (bass baritone) and Jo Appleby (soprano) - are, despite Batt's perception otherwise, young, good looking and dressed to kill.

The well tailored designer image is thoroughly deliberate, Sewell says.

"There are so many singers around, but trying to find people who can sing classically who don't look like classical singers is very difficult," is the tactful way he explains the process behind selecting his co-singers.

While that might come across as cold and calculating, the way Sewell outlines the decisions behind assessing the talent part of the Amici Forever equation is pure Kiwi.

"We're five classically trained singers, and the most important thing for us is that together we can sing the nuts off stuff," he says.

"Individually we're great, but it's the whole synergy thing - the sum of the whole is greater than the parts. Amici Forever, we think it's magic and it seems to be working."

The songs on Amici Forever's debut were also carefully chosen - instantly recognisable operatic classics, alongside contemporary material such as Unchained Melody (in Italian), and the theme from television series Band Of Brothers.

"We wanted something which would appeal to a wide range of people," Sewell says.

"We didn't want to try and hit the purist market because it's such a narrow market and they would knock us anyway. They're popular tunes as well, that we've put the Amici Forever twist on. The album has something for everyone, we hope."

Their record sales would seem proof enough of their wide appeal, and with Amici Forever scoring such high profile live bookings as singing at the Champions League soccer final and a televised Royal Command Performance at the Royal Albert Hall, the group have performed in front of millions of TV viewers.

While big sales and high-profile engagements would be the thrill of a lifetime for many singers, there is one much more personal performance which is the stand-out for Sewell.

"I think for me the highlight was singing the national anthem at Twickenham, for the All Blacks vs England rugby match," he says.

"I sing the English national anthem so bloody many times it just breaks me, so finally I got to sing the New Zealand one.

"We've had a number of pinch yourself moments, like performing for the Queen and other crazy moments. Hopefully it will continue... Seven years ago I was sitting in a bank in Wellington crunching numbers. I'm just blown away."

* Amici Forever are about to stage an 18- concert tour of England and Europe, before supporting Sir Cliff Richard on tour. In September they make their debut US tour, and hope to be in Australia and New Zealand in October/November.

- NZPA