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The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the Anglican tradition.

The term is often used to describe Anglican churches using a number of ritual practices associated in the popular mind with Roman Catholicism. Sacrosanctum Concilium states that: "in the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of the heavenly liturgy",^[1] having to do with sanctity and respect for God, Jesus, and the church as the Body of Christ. As such high church Anglicans espouse a position that the church as an organisation and the congregation at worship is "catholic" primarily in the sense that it is joined through its ritual to the "universal" church, and so they use the terms "High Church" and "Anglo-Catholic".

Variations[link]

Because of its history, the term "High Church" also refers to aspects of Anglicanism quite distinct from the Oxford Movement or Anglo-Catholicism. There remain parishes that are "High Church" and yet adhere closely to the quintessentially Anglican usages and liturgical practices of the Book of Common Prayer.

High Church Anglicanism tends to be more conservative and closer to Roman Catholic teaching on sexual morality. In contrast, the Evangelical wing of Anglicanism is closer to Protestant thinking. Although the conservatives tend to look favourably on Roman Catholicism, some in the High Church tradition are sympathetic to practices that, to official Roman Catholic teaching, are anathema, such as the ordination of women and the acceptance and ordination of openly homosexual people^[2]

The term "High Church" has also spread to Protestant traditions that have undergone revivals or realignments in their liturgical practices, for example, "High Church Presbyterianism" or "High Church Methodism". Within Lutheranism there is also a historic "High Church" and "Low Church" distinction that is comparable with Anglicanism (see Neo-Lutheranism and Pietism).

In contemporary Roman Catholicism, the term "high church" is sometimes used principally for liturgical distinctions,^{[citation needed]} of which there are many variations. Some High Church Roman Catholics, who favor moderating the reforms of Vatican II, sometimes called "reform of the reform", might favor the use of Latin, Gregorian chant and practices such as eastward celebration and the use of incense in the Mass of Paul VI. Others, such as Traditionalist Catholics, call for use of the Tridentine Mass.^{[citation needed]}

Evolution of the term[link]

In the 17th century, the term "High Church" was used to describe those divines and laity who placed a "high" emphasis on complete adherence to the Established Church position, including some emphasis on ritual or liturgical practices inherited from the Early Church or the Undivided Church. Anglicanism had only recently split from Roman Catholicism, and this split (orchestrated by King Henry VIII) was more administrative than liturgical, so it was natural that the Anglican service should mirror the Roman Catholic. However, as the Puritans began demanding that the English Church abandon its traditional liturgical emphases, episcopal structures, parish ornaments and the like, the "High Church" position came to be distinguished increasingly from that of the Latitudinarians, who sought to minimise the differences between Anglicanism and Reformed Christianity, and to make the church as inclusive as possible by opening its doors as widely as possible to admit other Christian viewpoints.

Until the early 19th century High Churchmen were those wishing to maintain the link between church and state and the liturgy of the 1662 Prayer Book.^{[citation needed]} The 19th century Oxford Movement within the Church of England began as a High Church movement, following a call to action to save the Church of England, whose position, with emancipation of Roman Catholics and other changes in the English body politic, was perceived as being in danger.^{[citation needed]} High Churchmen strove against the erosion of the Church of England's traditionally privileged and legally entrenched role in English society.^{[citation needed]} Over time a significant number of the leading lights of the Oxford Movement became Roman Catholics, following the path of John Henry Newman, one of the fathers of the Oxford Movement and, for a time, a High Churchman himself. A lifelong High Churchman, the Reverend Edward Bouverie Pusey remained the spiritual father of the Oxford Movement and in holy orders of the Church of England.

Before 1833[link]

During the reign of King James I, there were attempts to diminish the growth of party feeling within the Church of England, and indeed to reconcile to the Church moderate Puritans who did not already conform to the Established Church or who had left the Church in recent years. The project to create the Authorized Version of the Bible was one such attempt at reconciliation. The continued use of what has also been termed the King James version of the Bible, by Anglicans and Protestants alike in the English-speaking world, is a reflection of the success of this endeavour at cooperation.

During the reign of King Charles I, however, as divisions between Puritan and traditional Catholic elements within the Church of England became more bitter, and Protestant Nonconformity outside the Church grew stronger in numbers and more vociferous, the "High Church" position became associated with the leadership of the "High Church" Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, (see Laudianism), and government policy to curtail the growth of Protestant Dissent in England and the other possessions of the Crown. See, for example, the attempt to reimpose episcopacy on the Church of Scotland, a policy that was 'successful' until the reign of William and Mary, when the office of bishop was discontinued except among the small minority of Scots who belonged to the Scottish Episcopal Church.

To a lesser extent, looking back from the 19th century, the term "High Church" also came to be associated with the beliefs of the Caroline divines and with the pietistic emphases of the period, practised by the Anglican community at Little Gidding, such as fasting and lengthy preparations before receiving the Eucharist.

After the Restoration, the term "High Church" became associated with those who took the view that the Church of England forever ought to be specially protected against all other Christian beliefs, which it termed sectarian.^{[citation needed]}

In the wake of the disestablishment of Anglicanism and the persecution of Anglican beliefs and practices under the Commonwealth, the return of the Anglican party to power in the Cavalier Parliament saw a strong revival of the "High Church" position in the English body politic. Victorious after a generation of struggle, the Anglican gentry felt the need to re-entrench the re-Anglicanised Church of England as one of the most important elements of the Restoration Settlement through a renewed and strengthened alliance between Throne and Altar, or Church and State. Reverence for martyrdom of the Stuart king Charles I as an upholder of his Coronation Oath to protect the Church of England became a hallmark of "High Church" orthodoxy. At the same time, the Stuart dynasty was expected to maintain its adherence to Anglicanism. This became an important issue for the High Church party and it was to disturb the Restoration Settlement under Charles II's brother, King James II, a convert to Roman Catholicism, and lead to setbacks for the "High Church" party. These events culminated in the Glorious Revolution and the exclusion of the Catholic Stuarts from the British throne. The subsequent split over office-holders' oaths of allegiance to the Crown and the Royal Succession, which led to the exclusion of the Non-Juror bishops who refused to recognise the 1688 de facto abdication of the King, and the accession of King William III and Queen Mary II, and did much to damage the unity of "High Church" party.

Later events surrounding the attempts of the Jacobites, the adherents of the excluded dynasts, to regain the English and Scottish thrones, led to a sharpening of anti-Catholic rhetoric in Britain and a distancing of the High Church party from the more ritualistic aspects of Caroline High churchmanship, which were often associated with the schismatic Non-Jurors. Eventually, under Queen Anne, the High Church party saw its fortunes revive with those of the Tory party, with which it was then strongly associated.

However, under the early Hanoverians, the fortunes of both the High Church and Tory parties were once again out of favour. This led to an increasing marginalisation of High Church and Tory viewpoints, as much of the 18th century was given over to the rule of the Whig party and the aristocratic families who were in large measure pragmatic latitudinarians in churchmanship. This was also the Age of Reason, which marked a period of great spiritual somnolence and stultification in the Church of England.

Thus, by the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, those liturgical practices prevalent even in High Church circles were not of the same tenor as those later found under the Catholic revival of the 19th century. High Church clergy and laity were often termed "high and dry", in reference to their traditional "high" attitude with regard to political position of the Church in England, and "dry" faith, which was accompanied by an austere but decorous mode of worship, as reflective of their idea of an orderly and dignified churchmanship against the rantings of the low churchmen that their Cavalier ancestors had defeated. Over time, their High Church position had become ossified among a remnant of bookish churchmen and country squires. An example of an early 19th century churchman of this tradition is Sir Robert Inglis MP.

From 1833[link]

Only with the success of the Oxford Movement and its increasing emphases on ritualistic revival from the mid-19th century onward, did the term "High Church" begin to mean something approaching the later term "Anglo-Catholic". Even then, it was only employed coterminously in contrast to the "Low" churchmanship of the Evangelical and Pietist position. This sought, once again, to lessen the separation of Anglicans (the Established Church) from the majority of Protestant Nonconformists, who by this time included the Wesleyans and other Methodists as well as adherents of older Protestant denominations known by the group term "Old Dissent". In contrast to earlier alliances with the Tories, Anglo-Catholicism became increasingly associated with socialism, the Labour Party and greater decision-making liberty for the church's convocations. Anglo-Catholics, particularly in London, were sometimes called "sacramental socialists".^{[citation needed]}

From the mid-19th century onward, the term "High Church" generally became associated with a more avowedly Anglo-Catholic liturgical or even triumphalist position within the English Church, while the remaining Latitudinarians were referred to as being Broad Church and the re-emergent evangelical party was dubbed Low Church. However, "high church" can still refer to Anglicans who hold a "high" view of the sacraments, church tradition and the threefold ministry but do not specifically consider themselves Anglo-Catholics.

In popular culture[link]

• In the Graham Greene novel The Quiet American, the main character Thomas Fowler states that he may not divorce or annul his marriage to his estranged wife, because her family is "high church".
• The plot of Anthony Trollope's novel Barchester Towers is driven by the arrival of a "low-church" bishop and his retinue in the fictional (and traditionally "high and dry") diocese of Barchester.

See also[link]

• Anglican devotions
• Anglicanism
• Anglo-Catholicism
• Broad Church
• Evangelical Catholic
• Low Church
• Church of England
• Churchmanship
• Continuing Anglican Movement
  • Anglican Catholic Church
  • Anglican Catholic Church of Canada
  • Anglican Church in America
  • Anglican Province of America
• Affirming Catholicism
• Society of Catholic Priests
• High Church Lutheranism
• High Mass
• Neo-Lutheranism
• Ritualism
• Scottish Church Society

References and notes[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Addleshaw, G. W. O. (1941) The High Church Tradition: a study in the liturgical thought of the seventeenth century. London: Faber
• Cross, F. L. (ed.) (1957) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. London: Oxford U. P.; High Churchmen, p. 636
• Hein, David (1991) "The High Church Origins of the American Boarding School" in: Journal of Ecclesiastical History 42 (1991): 577-95.
• Hylson-Smith, Kenneth (1993) High Churchmanship in the Church of England, from the sixteenth century to the late twentieth century. Edinburgh: T & T Clark

External links[link]

• Traditional Anglicans in the Diocese of Lincoln 14 High Churches
• Church of the Ascension and Saint Agnes A High Church
• Liturgical Features of High Church Anglicanism
• A Guide to the Solemn High Mass
• The Church of the Advent Boston Guide to Solemn Mass
• Old St Paul's Church Edinburgh - the oldest Scottish Episcopal church in Scotland

Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson live with AC/DC on November 23, 2008 in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Background information
Born	(1947-10-05) 5 October 1947 (age 64) Dunston, Gateshead, England
Genres	Heavy metal, hard rock, rock and roll, blues rock, glam rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, percussion
Years active	1971–present
Labels	EMI, Epic, Atlantic
Associated acts	AC/DC, Geordie

Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and lyricist who has been the lead singer for the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of the band.

In 1972, Johnson became one of the founding members of the glam rock band Geordie. After a few hit singles, including UK Top 10 "All Because of You" (1973), the band split up in 1978 then to be reformed by Johnson in 1980. But after signing a new record deal, Johnson was asked to audition for AC/DC, whose charismatic frontman, Bon Scott, had died on 19 February 1980. A fan in Cleveland^[1] sent a tape of Johnson performing with Geordie to the band's manager Peter Mensch. Mensch recommended him to the band.^[2]

AC/DC lead guitarist and co-founder Angus Young later recalled, "I remember Bon playing me Little Richard, and then telling me the story of when he saw Brian singing." He says about that night, "There's this guy up there screaming at the top of his lungs and then the next thing you know he hits the deck. He's on the floor, rolling around and screaming. I thought it was great, and then to top it off—you couldn't get a better encore—they came in and wheeled the guy off!'" Johnson was diagnosed with appendicitis later that night, which was the cause of his writhing around on stage.^[3] The band agreed immediately that Johnson's performing style fit AC/DC's music. Johnson's first album with AC/DC, Back in Black, became the third best-selling album of all time.

Youth[link]

Brian Johnson was born in Dunston, Gateshead, England. He is of English and Italian descent and is the eldest of four siblings. His father, Alan, was a Sergeant Major of the British Army's Durham Light Infantry and a coal miner; he died during the Ballbreaker tour. Johnson's mother, Esther (née De Luca), was an Italian from Frascati.^[4] When he was young, Brian Johnson performed in various shows with the Scouts, and appeared in a play which aired on television, and joined a local church choir.^[5]

Early career[link]

Johnson's first band was the Gobi Desert Canoe Club.^[6] He was also in a band called Fresh.^[7] From 1970, Johnson played with cabaret/club band The Jasper Hart Band,^[8] performing songs from the musical Hair as well as soft-rock/pop songs of the time. He and other members of the band went on to form Geordie.

His first and only solo single, "I Can't Forget You Now", he released also as a member of Geordie in January 1976 on the Red Bus label. In 1982, a compilation including only Geordie's 1973–1976 ten songs was issued as Brian Johnson's solo album Strange Man on the MCA label. The US 1989 CD Keep On Rocking, with re-recorded versions of the band's twelve known songs was released under the name of Brian Johnson and Geordie as well as the Australian 1991 compilation CD Rockin' With The Boys 1972–1976.

AC/DC[link]

Following Bon Scott's death, the remaining members of the band briefly considered quitting; they eventually concluded, however, that Scott would have wanted AC/DC to continue, and various candidates were considered for his replacement, including Buzz Shearman, ex-Moxy member, who was not able to join because of voice problems, and ex-Back Street Crawler vocalist Terry Slesser, before settling on Johnson.^{[citation needed]}

AC/DC guitarist and co-founder Angus Young later recalled, "I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian's (Johnson) name was from Bon. Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said 'Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.' And that was Bon's big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was 'Well he's a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about.' He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him."^{[citation needed]}

In March 1980 Johnson received a phone call inviting him to London to audition as the new vocalist for AC/DC. As a big AC/DC fan, he was happy to oblige. Malcolm remembers the day: "We were all sitting there going, Where's this guy Brian? He should have been here an hour ago. 'Oh him? He's downstairs playing pool with the roadies' – so we thought, well, at least he plays pool." When someone fetched him to meet them, Malcolm recalls that Johnson, "had tears in his eyes. He was as sad about Bon as we were. Anyway, we said, Do you want to give it a go? And he said, 'I do Whole Lotta Rosie with Geordie,' and off he went. We went, fucking hell, this guy is cutting the mustard. Anything else you know? 'Nutbush City Limits?' OK, we can knock that out, and he sang that great too. It put a little smile on our faces – for the first time since Bon. So we just started working with him then." Within days, Johnson was in the band, the news being made official, amusingly enough, on 1 April. A week after that he was sent a plane ticket to the Bahamas (their management's idea, for tax purposes) where he joined the Youngs, bassist Cliff Williams, and drummer Phil Rudd and Highway to Hell producer Mutt Lange in Compass Point Studios.^{[citation needed]}

The result was the album Back in Black, which was released in July that year. It was a worldwide success and went on to become the third best-selling album of all time. Their next album, 1981's For Those About to Rock We Salute You also sold well. The raw, self-produced albums Flick of the Switch and Fly on the Wall were not as commercially successful as the previous two albums with Johnson. Who Made Who, released in 1986, was the soundtrack for the horror film Maximum Overdrive and brought back AC/DC's mainstream popularity. In 1986, Johnson appeared in his home city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the controversial music video for "You Shook Me All Night Long", and the video received significant airplay on MTV.^[9]

Brian Johnson hangs on to a bell while performing the song "Hells Bells".

The 1988 album Blow Up Your Video was the last AC/DC album to feature lyrics from Johnson. Starting with 1990's The Razors Edge, guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young have written all of AC/DC's material. When asked by a fan during a radio interview why he stopped contributing lyrics, he laughed, "I ran out of words" and went on to explain that during recording he didn't always enjoy the pressure of having to come up with an album's worth of lyrics and was relieved when the Young brothers filled in during The Razors Edge. The band has since continued in that tradition for every album since. In 2008, they released their tenth album with Johnson, Black Ice.^[10]

A symbol of the working class in the North of England, Newcastle native Brian Johnson customarily wears a newsboy cap on stage and frequently off.^[11][12] Johnson has occasionally worn baseball caps as well. His brother suggested that the singer wear the cap onstage to prevent sweat rolling off his thick, curly hair into his eyes while singing. "He said, 'Put it on, at least you'll be able to see what the bloody freak you're doing!' So I put it on and after three songs in the second set, I looked at him, put my thumbs up – 'This is brilliant!' He never did get that hat back."^[13]

In February 2010 during the Black Ice World Tour Johnson lashed out at a group of AC/DC fans who had written an open letter to the band asking for a change in the setlist, saying "Fuck them! What about the fans who haven't heard them? There are a few cocky fans. A lot of people now with the computers, they sit on their fat ass in their house somewhere going 'Oh they played that song last night, they should change it'. Well, bollocks to you. I don't think they realise changing a song in a set now is not the same as it used to be."^[14]

Helen of Troy musical[link]

Since April 2003, Brian Johnson, who says "I love musical theatre, especially the classic stuff, like Rodgers and Hammerstein",^[15] has been working on a musical version of Helen of Troy with Sarasota Ballet choreographer, Robert de Warren. The musical is a Les Misérables-style musical with rousing anthems, tender ballads and minimal dialogue. He conceived the project with writers Ian La Frenais, Dick Clement and Brendan Healy after seeing Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Cats and being underwhelmed at what he saw.

Malcolm McDowell, who made his recording debut singing one of the songs for the soundtrack in Brian's studio, has agreed to play Zeus. The Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan and Bruce Vilanch are also set to participate.^[16]

In 2004 Johnson travelled to Greece to film an episode of the television series Goddess Odyssey in which he researched the Helen of Troy myth. It was released on DVD in July 2005 and contains music from the theatre production.^[17]

Other activities[link]

A car and racing enthusiast, Brian Johnson currently enjoys racing his vintage race cars: a Royale RP-4 and a Pilbeam MP84, which he races in vintage and historic races throughout the United States. In 1997, Johnson recorded with the band Jackyl on their song "Locked and Loaded", and in 2002 wrote lyrics on the track "Kill the Sunshine" from their album Relentless. In the video game Call of Duty: Finest Hour, he voices Sergeant Starkey. He made a cameo appearance in the 2005 film Goal! where he appears as a Newcastle United fan in a bar in California watching a Newcastle game.

In 2006 he took part in car racing reality television series The Race, broadcast on Sky One in the UK. In 2007 Johnson and AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams took part in the Classic Rock Cares tour to raise funds for the John Entwistle Foundation which is run by Entwistle's long time friend and drummer Steve Luongo.^[18] They performed AC/DC songs as well as songs written by Johnson for the film Totally Baked. These were "Blood Alley", "Chain Gang on the Road" and "Who Phoned the Law".^{[citation needed]}

On 26 July 2009 Johnson appeared as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car on the BBC television programme Top Gear. His time of 1:45.9 ties him with Simon Cowell and Kevin McCloud for the second fastest time in the Chevrolet Lacetti, just 0.1 seconds behind Jay Kay. He was introduced by Jeremy Clarkson as "a man who has sold more albums than The Beatles, and I bet almost none of [the audience] have ever heard of him".

His autobiography Rockers and Rollers was published in October 2009^{[citation needed]}, and was released in the United States on 29 July.^[19]

He raced in the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 29 and 30, 2012. He finished 12th in the Daytona Prototype class ^[20] driving for 50+Predator/Alegra Racing, sharing the #50 Dinan/BMW Daytona Prototype with Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Byron DeFoor, Jim Pace, and Carlos de Quesada. He is competing in the 2012 Silverstone Classic Celebrity Challenge race.

Possible retirement[link]

In July 2009, Brian Johnson was interviewed by Classic Rock magazine, and stated that he is thinking about retirement.^[21]

In November he clarified his comments, saying he did not wish to retire but would if he could not perform an entire concert.^[22]

Personal life[link]

Johnson married his first wife, Carol, in 1968.^[23] They divorced during the writing of the The Razors Edge album. They have two daughters: Joanne (1968), and Kala (1973).^[24] He resides in Sarasota, Florida. He is also an avid supporter of English football team Newcastle United, and once attempted to buy the club.

In September 2009, Johnson was diagnosed with Barrett syndrome.^[25] This caused AC/DC to cancel several shows on their 2009 tour in support of Black Ice. However, doctors were able to prevent the disease from developing into cancer.^[25]

Discography[link]

With Geordie

With AC/DC

Solo

References[link]

External links[link]

• ACDC.com official site
• [1] Brian Johnson By Abdul Vas

Charlotte Church
Church performing at Selfridges in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Charlotte Maria Reed
Born	(1986-02-21) 21 February 1986 (age 26) Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales
Origin	Cardiff, Wales
Genres	Pop, Celtic, classical, classical crossover, operatic pop
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Sony Music (1998-2006) Power Amp Music (2010-Present)
Website	charlottechurch.co

Charlotte Maria Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed; 21 February 1986) is a Welsh^[1] singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide^[2] including over 5 million in the United States.^[3] In 2010 she was reported to be worth as much as £11m^[4] (though one 2003 report quoted her worth at £25m^[5]). She hosted a Channel 4 chat show titled The Charlotte Church Show. Church released her first album in five years, titled Back To Scratch, on 17 October 2010. She is also mentioned as one of the Bohemians in Ben Elton's musical We Will Rock You.

History[link]

Early life[link]

Charlotte Church was born Charlotte Maria Reed in Llandaff, a district of Cardiff, Wales. She was brought up as a Roman Catholic by her mother, Maria, who was separated from Church's biological father, Stephen Reed. Church was adopted by her mother's second husband, James Church in 1986.^[6] Her break came at 11 when she sang Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu" over the telephone on the television show "This Morning" in 1997, followed by her performance on ITV's Big, Big Talent Show in 1997.^[7] This led to concerts at Cardiff Arms Park, the Royal Albert Hall and opening for Shirley Bassey in Antwerp. She also received a vocal scholarship to Howell's School Llandaff in Cardiff where she started in 1998 after leaving The Cathedral School, Llandaff. She balanced performing and school with help from tutors for when she was on the road and said in many interviews that she was "just like every other girl her age".

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2012)

1998–2005: Classical career[link]

Church was then introduced to the Cardiff impresario Jonathan Shalit, who became her manager and negotiated a contract with Sony Music. Her first album, Voice of an Angel, was a collection of arias, sacred songs, and traditional pieces that sold millions worldwide and made her the youngest artist with a No. 1 album on the British classical crossover charts.

Church appeared on PBS specials. Her self-titled second album also included operatic, religious and traditional tracks. One, the soaring and inspirational Just Wave Hello, was the centre piece of a millennium-themed ad campaign for the Ford Motor Company. The song's full-length video, featuring Church, won acclaim at the Detroit Auto Show and introduced her to new fans. The track reached No. 31 in Britain.

In 2000, she released Dream a Dream, an album of Christmas carols. It included Church's first foray into a more pop-influenced style in the title track Dream a Dream, borrowing the melody from Fauré's Pavane and featuring young American country singer Billy Gilman. Church also sang with Gilman in "Sleigh Ride" on his CD Classic Christmas.

In 2001, Church added more pop, swing, and Broadway with her album Enchantment. That year, Church made her first film appearance in the 2001 Ron Howard film A Beautiful Mind. Celine Dion was beginning a concert engagement in Las Vegas and was not available to perform the film's end title song, "All Love Can Be", so composer James Horner enlisted Church and the song was rewritten for her vocal range. Church also handled other vocal passages throughout the score.

In 2002, at 16, she released a "best of" album called Prelude, and took part in the Royal Christmas tour alongside Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, concluding her classical music career.

2005–09: Pursuing pop career; Tissues and Issues[link]

Charlotte Church signing her music single in 2005

In 2005, Church issued her first pop album Tissues and Issues. Four singles were moderately successful in the UK with "Crazy Chick" reaching no. 2, "Call My Name" number 10, "Even God Can't Change the Past" number 17, and "Moodswings (to Come at Me like That)" number 14. Although these were released in Australia as well, they failed to reach the same level of success there, and in March 2006 it was announced that there would be no US releases of Church's pop work until she had achieved a number 1 hit in the UK.^{[citation needed]} Tissues and Issues accounted for no more than 2% of her total sales.^{[citation needed]} Church's pop album was released in the U.S. through Amazon.com MP3 shop, and iTunes in 2009.

In April 2006, she performed three concerts in Glasgow, London, and Cardiff, in venues holding between 2,000 and 3,000 people; the dates at London and Cardiff were sold out. Supported by Irish band the New Druids, Church performed a mix of tracks from her debut pop album and a number of pop covers including Prince's "Kiss" and Gloria Estefan's "Rhythm is Gonna Get You". Though Church hinted at the possibility of a full tour in the future, none took place.

In November 2006, it was announced that she and Sony had parted ways. According to her publicist, this was a mutual decision reached after a series of meetings throughout the year, which were held since her five and later six album deal had come to an end. There was some speculation that Church had decided to take a break from her singing career, in order to focus on her television show. Others suggested that the performance of her pop releases in the charts also contributed to the decision.^[8] Soon, she became pregnant with her daughter, Ruby Megan Henson, and this was widely believed to have contributed to the decision.

In 2007, Church became Patron of the charity The Topsy Foundation UK,^[9] helping to raise awareness and funds for its work to support rural communities in South Africa, empowering people infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS, through medical care, social support and skills development.

Articles emerged in the UK press in March and April 2008 stating that she was still training classically and was contemplating a return to classical crossover at some point. Church has sung in religious services in Taizé. She has also performed before Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, the Prince of Wales and Bill Clinton.

In June 2008, she again became pregnant, this time with her son, Dexter Lloyd Henson. In Church's latest interview, she mentioned she would be ready to work on more music a few months after she was fully recovered from her second pregnancy, and Dexter was a little bit older, though was not sure whether she would further develop her classical career, her pop career, or both as she loves both genres for different reasons, and plans to work on both genres but needs to be in a creative state of mind to continue work on her second Pop album. Church also mentioned that she has been working with a vocal instructor to keep her voice in check during, and after her second pregnancy, and while she has never put a focus on her body image, she would like to get back into the shape she was in before becoming a mother when she resumes work.

In June 2009, Church was interviewed for 'Hello!' magazine,^[10] and discussed her life since having her second child. She said that she was currently in the studio, resuming work on a new album. She mentioned that Henson had been strongly encouraging her to get back to work, and pursue her career that she has greatly missed since settling down.

[edit] 2010–present: Return to Music and Back to Scratch

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Church appeared on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross on 13 March 2010, where she confirmed that she had already begun writing and recording her sixth studio album. Church also stated that the album was of a different sound to previous, more mature with a "kooky" vibe.

On 4 August 2010, Church made a new track, "Cold California", available to download from her Web site .^[11]

Church's new album, Back to Scratch, was released in the UK on 25 October 2010. The 14-track set has been produced by Martin Terefe. Back to Scratch was preceded by a single - the LP's title track - on 24 October. "Back to Scratch" was originally inspired "by problems facing a family member", but Church admitted in a press release that the song now has resonance to her own personal life following her recent split from Gavin Henson.^[12] Other tracks confirmed for the album include "Ruby", originally recorded by French singer Camille and written by Euston Jones, "Logical World", "Story Of Us", "Don't Think About It" and "Cup Of The Sun".^[12] Back To Scratch will also feature "The Actors", which Church performed on BBC One talent contest Over The Rainbow in May, and a cover of Joni Mitchell's "River".^[12] A video featuring a snippet of another song from the album, "Snow", is available to watch on the singer's YouTube channel and is currently streaming on her official Web site.^[12] On 6 September 2010 Church posted a short video to her official YouTube channel showing her being filmed for the video of the lead single and title track "Back to Scratch" in the background the song can be heard playing.^[13] It was announced on 13 March 2011 that Church had terminated her $3 million (£2 million)deal with Power Amp Music over promotional disputes. Her spokesperson released the following statement "All I can really say, because of the confidentiality issues, is that it was in Charlotte's financial interests to do so before the agreement entered the second year of its term. This is typical for these type of deals, which are investment deals rather than record deals. I can also say that the decision to terminate the term early, which suited both parties, was made well before the commercial release of the album." A spokesperson from the record label also released a statement saying "It didn't work out with Charlotte and that's fair enough. There was no falling out. It was a mutual decision. They decided to exit the deal."

The third single to be released from the album, Snow was released on 11 April 2011.

On 26 May 2012, Church premiered three new songs "The Rise", "How Not To Be Surprised When You're A Ghost", and "Say It's True" on BBC Radio with Bethan Elfyn. Church is also slated to perform at many musical festivals to promote her new material.

Acting and television career[link]

Church has made a number of cameo appearances on television. She appeared in the CBS series Touched by an Angel, starred in the 1999 Christmas special of Heartbeat, and in 2002 and 2003 she appeared on episodes of Have I Got News For You (the first time as the show's youngest-ever panelist; the second time as host). In 2005 she played herself in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show, in a sketch with the fictional character Joannie Taylor. In 2008 she appeared briefly in a sketch in Katy Brand's Big Ass Show.

In December 2005, for The Paul O'Grady Show Christmas pantomime, The Wizard of Oz, Church played Dorothy Gale.

In January 2010 for Hospital 24/7, Church made an appearance on the program finale, where she visits the Children's Hospital for Wales to launch the Noah's Ark Appeals campaign to fund the equipment in the new Critical Care Unit, which will help children needing high dependency, or critical & intensive care.

In the summer of 2006, Church began work on her own entertainment TV show, The Charlotte Church Show. After a pilot episode which caused some controversy and which was never released to the public,^[14] the series began on 1 September 2006 on Channel 4.

The show, hosted by Church and featuring two celebrity guests each week, involved a mixture of sketches, reality TV, interviews, extremely foul language, and music, as well as a recurring Welsh theme. The show has averaged 1.9 million viewers and 10% of the available audience, and on 6 October 2006, it was announced that Channel 4 paid Church a reported £1,200,000 for a further two series of the show.^{[citation needed]} According to her official website, the final series, originally planned for summer of 2007, was deferred until after Church gave birth.

Church won a British Comedy Award for "Best Female Comedy Newcomer" in 2006,^[15] and the 'Funniest TV Personality' award at the 2006 Loaded Magazine's 'LAFTA' awards.^[16] In 2008 she was nominated for the Rose d'Or Special Award for Best Entertainer.^[17]

In late June 2008, Channel 4 began showing trials for the series. It has since concluded its eight-show run. Church confirmed on 28 August 2008 that The Charlotte Church Show would return for a Christmas special, which aired on 21 December 2008. On Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Church revealed that the third series would be shown on Thursday nights beginning on 10 July 2008. The show ended after its third series.

Church was confirmed by the BBC in February 2010 to be one of the judges on Andrew Lloyd Webber's new West End revival show Over The Rainbow.^[18]

She made her silver screen debut in 2003's I'll Be There, co-starring and directed by Craig Ferguson. Church played the role of Olivia, the daughter of a washed-up '80s rocker from a one-night-stand, played by Ferguson. The film did not meet with widespread success, playing for only ten days in British cinemas and being released directly to video in the US. Church was also under consideration to appear in the 2004 film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera as the leading female character Christine Daaé but elected not to audition as it was specified she would have to lose weight before she could try out which she declined to do. The part eventually went to Emmy Rossum. Church also stated she had wanted the part of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series of films, however, at 14 she was too old for the part, which eventually went to Emma Watson.

Church sat in for Zoë Ball on BBC Radio 2's Saturday breakfast show on 10 and 17 September 2011

Personal life[link]

Church's personal life has often been portrayed in UK tabloid newspapers, inspiring the song "Let's Be Alone" on her album Tissues and Issues.

Church released an autobiography titled Voice of an Angel (My Life So Far) at 14, before the release of Enchantment and just after she had wrapped up her Dream a Dream Christmas CD. Her change of music direction is hinted at in the final chapter, "Turning Corners".^[19] She released a second autobiography titled Keep Smiling in late 2007, very different in tone from the first.

In 2002, she was photographed smoking; many members of her family were heavy smokers, making it difficult for her to quit.^[20] Her smoking habit was alluded to on the album Tissues and Issues, in "Confessional Song". Her weight gain has been mentioned.^[21] Church has been quoted as saying, "I'm happy with how I look. I like looking like this. Why change just to be like everyone else? What's the point of that?"^[22] In an interview with Reveal magazine in June 2006, she said, "I do look a bit of a heifer on telly and in pictures but that's because the camera puts pounds on you."^[23]

The press devoted much attention to Church's relationship with boyfriend Gavin Henson, a Welsh International rugby union player. At the end of 2005, she bought a property in her native Cardiff—for a reported £500,000—which she later sold for £900,000. The couple then bought a manor with a 20-acre (8 hectare) small holding in the Vale of Glamorgan in the village of St. Bride's Major. The couple mentioned marriage on talk shows and in the press^[24] but put off marriage while Church was pregnant.

In 2007, Church made another appearance on a British young people's rich list with Henson. They were ranked 49th-richest young people in Britain with an estimated joint wealth of £12 million,^[25] The couple bought a Princess yacht in spring 2008 for £800,000, named Sketchy, which is berthed at Swansea marina. In late 2009, returning from a day-trip in the Bristol Channel, Church called out Her Majesty's Coastguard to rescue their lost RIB tender.^[26] Church practices karate to keep fit.^[27]

On 20 September 2007, Church gave birth to daughter named Ruby Megan Henson.^[28] On 11 January 2009, Church gave birth to her second child, son Dexter Lloyd Henson.^[29][30] Church has stated she wants her childbearing days to be over by the time she is 32. She has also said she wants four to six children, whereas Henson wanted eight.^[31] The Daily Mail reported on 31 May 2010 that Church and Henson had split up.^[32]

In November 2011, Church testified before the Leveson Inquiry about the media intrusion into her personal life stating "I've been made a caricature for so long, and this person portrayed in the tabloids really isn't me. It's not the person I am, and it's had a massive impact on my career. As an artist, I find it hard to be taken seriously because my credibility has been blown to bits."^[33]

On 27 February 2012 Church accepted £600,000 in damages and costs in settlement of a lawsuit arising out of the News International phone hacking scandal. She had claimed that 33 stories about her that appeared in the News of the World were the product of illegal hacking into her family's voice mail. After the settlement was announced in open court she made a lengthy statement afterwards.^[34] She said, “I have also discovered that despite the apology which the newspaper has just given in court, these people were prepared to go to any lengths to prevent me exposing their behaviour. They are not truly sorry. They are just sorry they got caught.” ^[35]

Controversy[link]

Church has provoked controversy on some occasions with her comments and criticisms — in an interview with Davina McCall, she agreed being diplomatic was "not in her nature".^[36] At age 15 she was criticised for remarks she made about the behaviour of people in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks^[37]

The pilot episode of Church's talk show, The Charlotte Church Show, was unwelcome to some religious groups, as Church made comments about Pope Benedict XVI, calling him a "Nazi" because he was a member of the Hitler Youth and German Army.^[38] A distributor of religious books, CDs and other goods, Ignatius Press, removed Church's products from its catalogue.^[39]

In her video blog entry for 22 March 2007, Church referred to the UK's Eurovision entry, Scooch, as "absolute shit" and went on to say, "I've never seen shit like it, because Scooch really are shit." Russ Spencer of Scooch hit back, saying, "What a pity the voice of an angel has acquired the mouth of a sewer." Spencer's fellow band member Natalie Powers added, "As a mother of a young child myself I find her behaviour and language quite unacceptable. What kind of role model is this for a mum-to-be?" Church commented on her Channel 4 show, "They called me attention seeking ... then what's doing the Eurovision dressed as air hostesses?"

She has claimed she would be a better judge for the reality show X-Factor than any of the judges on the show. She becomes "annoyed" when their remarks are inaccurate, stating, "They just do not know the ins and outs of a voice or music."^[40]

In January 2011, in an interview with Esquire magazine, Church referred to Queen Elizabeth II as "an old woman who has no idea what's going on",^[41] but apologised within days.^[42]

Discography[link]

• Voice of an Angel (1998)
• Charlotte Church (1999)
• Dream a Dream (2000)
• Enchantment (2001)
• Tissues and Issues (2005)
• Back to Scratch (2010)

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Charlotte Church

• CharlotteChurch.co - Official website
• The Charlotte Church Show - Official website
• Biography from BBC Wales
• Charlotte Church at the Internet Movie Database
• Charlotte Church discography at Discogs