Ducks flying over a Marsh.

A marsh is a type of wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species^[1]. Marshes can often be found at the edges of lakes and streams, where they form a transition between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They are often dominated by grasses, rushes or reeds.^[2] If woody plants are present they tend to be low-growing shrubs. This form of vegetation is what differentiates marshes from other types of wetland such as swamps, which are dominated by trees, and bogs, which are wetlands that have accumulated deposits of acidic peat.^[3]

Basic information[link]

Marshes provide habitat for many types of plants and animals which have adapted to living in flooded conditions.^[4] The plants must be able to survive in wet soil with low oxygen levels. Many of these plants therefore have aerenchyma, channels within the stem that allow air to move from the leaves into the rooting zone.^[5] Marsh plants also tend to have rhizomes for underground storage and reproduction. Familiar examples include cattails, sedges, papyrus and sawgrass. Aquatic animals, from fish to salamanders, are generally able to live with a low amount of oxygen in the water. Some can obtain oxygen from the air instead, while others can live indefinitely in conditions of low oxygen.^[3] Marshes provide habitat for many kinds of invertebrates, fish, amphibians, waterfowl and aquatic mammals.^[6] Marshes have extremely high levels of biological production, some of the highest in the world, and therefore are important in supporting fisheries.^[7] Marshes also improve water quality by acting as a sink to filter pollutants and sediment from the water that flows through them. Marshes (and other wetlands) are able to absorb water during periods of heavy rainfall and slowly release it into waterways and therefore reduce the magnitude of flooding.^[8] The pH in marshes tends to be neutral to alkaline, as opposed to bogs, where peat accumulates under more acid conditions.

Types of marshes[link]

Heathcote River Estuary Salt Marsh in Christchurch, New Zealand.

There are a number of different types of marshes depending mainly on their location and salinity. Both of these factors greatly influence the range and scope of animal and plant life that can survive and reproduce in these environments. The three main types of marsh are salt marshes, freshwater tidal marshes, and freshwater marshes.^[3] These three can be found worldwide and each contains a different set of organisms.

Salt marshes[link]

Salt water marshes are found around the world in mid to high latitudes, wherever there are sections of protected coastline. They are located close enough to the shoreline that the motion of the tides affects them and, sporadically, they are covered with water. They flourish where the rate of sediment buildup is greater than the rate that the land level is sinking at.^[3] Salt marshes are dominated by specially adapted rooted vegetation, primarily salt-tolerant grasses.^[9]

Salt marshes are most commonly found in lagoons, estuaries and on the sheltered side of shingle or sandspit. The currents there carry the fine particles around to the quiet side of the spit and sediment begins to build up. These locations allow the marshes to absorb the excess nutrients from the water running through them before they reach the oceans and estuaries.^[3] These marshes are slowly declining. Coastal development and urban sprawl has caused significant loss of these essential habitats.^[10]

Fresh water tidal marshes[link]

This form of marsh is defined by the fact that although it is a freshwater marsh, it is still affected by the tides. Without the stresses of salinity that is undergone by its salt water counterpart, the diversity of the plants and animals that live in and use these marshes is much higher than salt marshes. The most serious threats to this form of marsh are the increasing size and pollution of the cities surrounding them.^[3]

Fresh water marshes[link]

Freshwater marshes are the most diverse form of marsh in the three groups and range greatly in both size and geographic location. They make up the most common form of wetland in North America. Some examples of freshwater marsh types in North America follow.

Wet meadows[link]

Wet meadows occur in areas such as shallow lake basins, low-lying depressions, and the land between shallow marshes and upland areas. They also occur on the edges of large lakes and rivers. They often have very high plant diversity, and high densities of buried seeds^[11][12]. Although they are regularly flooded, in the summer, they are often dry.

Vernal pools[link]

Vernal pools are a type of marsh found only seasonally in shallow depressions in the land. They can be covered in shallow water, but in the summer and fall, they can be completely dry. In western North America, vernal pools tend to form in open grasslands,^[13] whereas in the east they often occur in forested landscapes.^[14] Further south, vernal pools form in pine savannas and flatwoods. Many amphibian species depend upon vernal pools for spring breeding; these ponds provide habitat that is free from fish which eat eggs and young of amphibians.^[15] An example is the endangered gopher frog (Rana sevosa).^[16] Similar temporary ponds occur in other world ecosystems, where they may have local names. However, the term vernal pool can be applied to all such temporary pool ecosystems^[17].

Playa lakes[link]

Playa lakes are a form of shallow freshwater marsh that occurs in the southern high plains of the United States^[18]. Like vernal pools, they are only present at certain times of the year and generally have a circular shape.^[19] As the playa dries during the summer, conspicuous plant zonation develops along the shoreline^[20].

Prairie potholes[link]

Prairie potholes are found in the northern parts of North America. This landscape was once covered by glaciers and as a result shallow depressions were formed in great numbers. These depressions fill with water in the spring. They provide important breeding habitat for many species of waterfowl. Some pool only occur seasonally while others retain enough water to be present all year.^[21]

Riverine wetlands[link]

Many kinds of marsh occur along the fringes of large rivers. The different types of marsh are produced by factors such as water levels, nutrients, ice scour, and waves. ^[22]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marsh

• Aquatic plant
• Bayou
• Biodiversity Action Plan
• Bog
• Fen
• Freshwater marsh

References[link]

External links[link]

• Marshes of the Lowcountry (South Carolina) -- Beaufort County Library
• General Information of Ibera Marshes (in English and Spanish)

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Jodie Marsh
Born	Jodie Louise Marsh (1978-12-23) 23 December 1978 (age 33)[1] South Weald, Brentwood, Essex, England
Ethnicity	British
Height	5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)[citation needed]
Spouse	Matt Peacock (2007, divorced)[citation needed]

Jodie Marsh (born 23 December 1978^[1]) is an English media personality, bodybuilder and glamour model. She has appeared topless in some tabloid newspapers and has appeared (clothed) in her own reality show, Totally Jodie Marsh.

Early life[link]

Jodie Louise Marsh's^[2] parents are John and Kristina^[3] and she was born in Brentwood, Essex.^[2] Her father runs a building contractors company, and she was educated at the independent Brentwood School.^[4] She has a brother, Jordan.^[5] She first came to prominence in the reality TV programme Essex Wives in 2002.^{[citation needed]}

Modelling career[link]

At the beginning of her career, Marsh often posed for magazines such as FHM, Loaded, Nuts and Zoo.^{[citation needed]}

Marsh was a page 3 girl for The Sun on six occasions.^{[6][dead link]} She also appeared in photo shoots for the newspapers The Daily Sport, Daily Star and News of the World.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2009, Marsh appeared on the cover of Zoo,^[7] In November 2010, she appeared on a special edition double cover for the magazine.^[8]

In April 2011, Marsh completed another photoshoot for the same magazine; she appeared on the cover of the magazine for a special 3-D edition of the weekly.^[9]

Television, film, and voice appearances[link]

Marsh has also taken part in many reality television shows, including Trust Me - I'm A Holiday Rep, Channel 4's The Games, E4's Fool around...with Jodie Marsh on two occasions,^[10] as a house guest in the short lived Five series Back to Reality as well as starring in and winning Channel 4's popular show Come Dine With Me.^[11]

Jodie appeared on, and won, a celebrity version of The Weakest Link in 2006.^[12] Marsh had a cameo role in the first episode of Channel 4's Friday night comedy showThe Kevin Bishop Show.^[13]

After competing in Celebrity Big Brother, Marsh appeared on several of the spin off shows including: Big Brother's Little Brother, Big Brother's Big Mouth and Big Brother's EForum.^[14]

In its second UK series, Marsh showed viewers around her home on MTV's Cribs in 2008.^[15] Also in 2008, Marsh appeared on Channel 4's documentary It's Me or the Dog. She was given training tips at home to deal with her four dogs.^[16]

Marsh appeared as a contestant in Channel Five's reality show The All Star Talent Show, hosted by Myleene Klass and Andi Peters.^[17] Following this, Marsh began presenting her own television series, Get A Life for Living TV on 1 March 2007. It was cancelled after two episodes, due to poor viewing figures.^[18]

In October 2008, she appeared on the first episode of London Ink' on TV channel Discovery Real Time.^[19] The following year, Marsh appeared on the popular BBC Three show Snog Marry Avoid?, hosted by Jenny Frost. Marsh came face to face with the computer overhaul device named POD where she received a make-under.

On 11 November 2009 she made a cameo appearance in the first episode of The Kevin Bishop Show as herself.

In April 2010, Marsh made her third appearance on The Podge and Rodge Show in Dublin, Ireland.^[14]

On 14 September 2010, Marsh appeared on Channel 4's Celebrity edition of Come Dine With Me. She won £1,000 for her charity.^[20]

On 29 September 2010, Marsh appeared in the one-off documentary Jodie Marsh Tattoo Apprentice which was screened on the channel DMAX.^[21]

Marsh appeared as a guest on Channel 5's Big Brother spin off show Big Brother's Bit on the Side in August 2011.^[22]

On 25 January 2012, Marsh appeared on Channel 5's Bullied: My Secret Past. She spoke of the effect bullying had on her and how it has made her who she is today. She also met other victims of bullying.

[edit] Celebrity Big Brother

In January 2006, Marsh appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in the UK. On 13 January, Marsh was first to be voted out of the Big Brother house — with 8 out of 10 possible nominations from her fellow housemates, and 42% of the public vote.^[23]

[edit] Totally Jodie Marsh

In May 2007, the website Marry Me Jodie Marsh was launched with the teaser "I'm getting married this September... Only problem is that I don't have a man!". Men were invited to submit an application for a series of open auditions for the chance to marry Marsh that September. MTV filmed the search and subsequent wedding.^[24]

The reality series featuring Marsh entitled Totally Jodie Marsh: Who'll Take Her Up the Aisle?, premiered in July 2007 documenting Marsh's search to find a husband.^[25] Marsh eventually chose Matt Peacock, an ex-boyfriend of fellow glamour model Jordan.^[26]

In the final episode of the show, MTV executives confronted Marsh and Peacock with taped footage of Peacock's audition claiming he and Marsh had been dating for months and living together for three months, contrary to the show's claims. After the MTV executives left the room, Peacock accused Marsh of lying to MTV.^[27]

The couple married on 1 September 2007 at Sugar Hut, a nightclub in Brentwood, Essex. A second ceremony in her mother’s back garden was shown on MTV on 2 September 2007.^[28] It was later revealed that Marsh had the wedding paid for by sponsors who believed that the wedding was genuine.^[29] The couple split up in December 2007.^[30] Marsh later admitted to Love It in their 8 January 2008 issue that ".. the marriage was for TV. It was never for real" and "I'm not hiding the fact I did the TV show for money. Of course I did".^[31]

Bodybuilding[link]

In 2009, Marsh became interested in bodybuilding and developed a muscular physique working under a personal trainer.^[32]

At the end of January 2010, Marsh was featured on LA Muscle TV in an hour long show called 6 pack in 4 weeks. Jodie's work on the show, resulted in a photoshoot for Muscle and Fitness magazine.^[33]

In October 2011, Marsh entered the Natural Physique Association Bodybuilding Championships in Sheffield where she placed 5th overall.^[34]

Writing[link]

In 2005, Marsh published her autobiography Keeping It Real.^[35] The hardback was released in 2005, followed by a paperback version in 2006. The hardback version reached the top 10 on the best-sellers list.^[36]

Marsh wrote a weekly column for celebrity gossip magazine Sneak until its closure in August 2006^{[citation needed]} and was previously Zoo Weekly magazine's "sexpert", advising men on sex-related issues. Her choice as an agony aunt angered some established professionals. She defended herself against these claims stating, "I haven't exactly got a degree in psychology, but I just love sex, don't I?"^[37]

Personal life[link]

In December 2006, Marsh announced her engagement to Brentwood DJ David Doyle, after dating for 11 days.^[38] Eschewing the traditional engagement ring, Marsh instead tattooed Doyle's full name on her hand and the couple appeared together in OK! magazine announcing their plan to marry in a fetish ceremony in a dungeon.^[39] The relationship ended between late December and mid-January 2007 with Doyle blaming Marsh's constant drinking and poor personal hygiene.^[40] Marsh, however, claimed Doyle had been unfaithful.^[41]

Briefly in 2008, Marsh reportedly dated a woman, known as Nina, a hairdresser.^[42] In the November issue of the UK edition of Star magazine, Marsh gave a full interview about their relationship and recreated the iconic Vanity Fair front cover depicting Cindy Crawford shaving k.d. lang.

She is a vegetarian and she participated at the Peta campaign "All animals have the same parts".^[43]

Marsh works with the Essex Air Ambulance Flight for Life campaign and created a 2012 calendar with the charity.^[44]

Other controversy[link]

In 2004, Marsh sold a story to the News of the World claiming that she had a sexual liaison with Chelsea F.C. midfielder Frank Lampard. Lampard denied the claims and filed a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission.^[45]

On 24 March 2006, Liberal Democrats education spokesman Phil Willis questioned Schools Minister Jacqui Smith in Parliament as to whether Marsh should be permitted access to schools in promoting her BeatBullying work, describing her blog as "the language of an appalling bully". Smith responded that, "Jodie Marsh does not represent the Department for Education and Skills in any way. Decisions about giving people access to pupils in schools are a matter for individual head teachers and governing bodies."^[46] Marsh described Willis as "just a sad, past-it old wannabe trying to get famous off my back." Willis later told the Daily Mail, "I just think we are descending really to the lowest common denominator when we are actually putting people on a pedestal like Jodie Marsh to send into our schools. I think we could find better role models."^[46]

On 11 August 2006, Marsh was booed by spectators at the annual Jersey Battle of Flowers Parade where she was a celebrity guest. The combined fee for Marsh and the parade's other celebrity guest, Andy Abraham, was estimated as £20,000. It has been suggested that this expense and the quality of the celebrity it bought contributed to the negative reception, but it was also noted a very small minority of people that were involved in the booing.^[47]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jodie Marsh at the Internet Movie Database
• Jodie Marsh at Playboy UK
• Jodie Marsh . Net

Marsh on August 2, 2008

Randall Gilbert Marsh (born April 8, 1949 in Covington, Kentucky) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1981 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000-2009. Marsh wore the uniform number 30. He umpired in the World Series in 1990, 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2006, serving as crew chief for the last three Series, and in the All-Star Game in 1985, 1988, 1996 and 2006, calling balls and strikes for the 1996 game. He is the tenth umpire in history to serve as crew chief for three World Series.

He has also officiated in eight League Championship Series (1989, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009) and in five Division Series (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006). He has been a crew chief since the 1998 season.

Marsh was the crew chief of Crew P for 2009, which included: Mike Winters, Alfonso Márquez, and Lance Barksdale.

Marsh is known for a comparatively small yet highly consistent strike zone, meaning he is among the most popular umpires for pitchers as well as hitters.

Marsh retired from umpiring following the 2009 season, and is now the Director Of Umpiring for Major League Baseball.

Marsh is a graduate of Covington Holmes High School and the University of Kentucky.

See also[link]

Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball umpires

External links[link]

• Retrosheet
• Major league profile
• USA Today Q&A October 2008

Paul Potts
Background information
Birth name	Paul Robert Potts
Born	(1970-10-13) 13 October 1970 (age 41) Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, England,[1] United Kingdom
Genres	Classical, pop opera
Occupations	Tenor musician (Formerly employed by Carphone Warehouse)
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Syco, Columbia (2007–2010)
Website	www.paulpottsofficial.com

Paul Robert Potts (born 13 October 1970)^{[citation needed]} is an English tenor. In 2007, he won the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent with his performance of "Nessun dorma", an aria from Puccini's opera Turandot. As a singer of operatic music, Potts recorded the album One Chance, which topped sales charts in nine countries. Prior to winning Britain's Got Talent, Potts was a manager at The Carphone Warehouse. He had served as Bristol city councillor from 1996 until 2003, and also had performed in amateur opera from 1999 to 2003. Potts's net worth was estimated at £6 million in April 2012.^[2]

Early life[link]

Potts was born in Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, England and raised in Fishponds, Bristol, by his father Roland, a bus driver, and mother, Yvonne (née Higgins), a supermarket cashier.^[3] He has two brothers and one sister. Potts attended St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, where he developed his love of singing.^[4] He also sang with the choir at Chester Park Junior School and with the choirs at several Bristol churches, including Christ Church. Potts said in interviews that he had been bullied in school, and that experience may have made him lack self-confidence. He has also said that his voice had always been a source of solace in the past when he was bullied.^[5]

He earned an Honours degree in 1993 from University College Plymouth St Mark & St John, majoring in Humanities.^[6] In 1996, Potts was elected the youngest member of Bristol City Council; a Liberal Democrat, he served until 2003.^[4][7] Potts was a manager at mobile phone store Carphone Warehouse in Bridgend and lived in Port Talbot. After winning Britain's Got Talent, Potts took a six-month sabbatical from his job and resigned on 5 March 2008.^[8]

Singing career[link]

Potts first sang opera in the minor roles of The Prince of Persia and the Herald in Puccini's Turandot for the Bath Opera, an amateur company, in 1999. He then performed leading roles on four occasions: Don Basilio in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro in 2000; Don Carlos in Verdi's Don Carlos in 2001; Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni in 2003; and Radames in Verdi's Aida in 2003.^[5][9][10] He also performed the role of the Chevalier des Grieux in Puccini's Manon Lescaut for the Southgate Opera Company in London, an amateur company, in May 2003. Additionally, he sang with a small ensemble from the Royal Philharmonic in front of an audience of 15,000 and toured northern Italy as a soloist as part of his music classes there.^[9]

In several interviews, Potts revealed that he performed Aida despite doctors' wishes to remove an adrenal tumour they had discovered during his illness from a burst appendix, and shortly after the tumour surgery performed Manon Lescaut. Potts broke his collarbone and suffered whiplash in a bicycle accident in 2003. The mishap and financial difficulties that followed led him to enter Britain's Got Talent despite not having sung in years.^[11]

He also participated in the soundtrack of epic Korean drama Queen Seondeok (TV series), singing two major characters', Deokman and Yushin's love theme "Passo Dopo Passo" in Italian, meaning "Step by Step". He has also performed a duet with world famous soprano, Hayley Westenra, Sei Con Me, featured in his album Passione.

[edit] Britain's Got Talent

Potts auditioned for Simon Cowell's new talent show Britain's Got Talent at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on 17 March 2007. The audition was televised on ITV1 in the UK on 9 June 2007.^[12] Potts sang the full rendition of Giacomo Puccini's "Nessun dorma", which was condensed for broadcast, and he received a standing ovation from the audience of 2,000 people.

In the semi-final on 14 June 2007, Potts performed the main verses of Andrea Bocelli's "Time To Say Goodbye".^[13] He progressed to the final after receiving the highest public vote in that show.^[14] He performed "Nessun dorma" again for his finale on 17 June 2007, as well as an encore after he won the competition. Potts defeated the bookmakers co-favourite Connie Talbot, and received the highest percentage of two million votes cast to win £100,000, and performed at the Royal Variety Performance on 3 December 2007, in front of Queen Elizabeth II. His version of "Nessun Dorma" on Britain's Got Talent has over 93 million combined views on YouTube.^[15]

Doubts over amateur status[link]

The Sun newspaper received complaints following allegations that Potts had been "coached by Pavarotti".^[16] There was anger that he was portrayed on Britain's Got Talent as a simple mobile-phone salesman, whereas he had in fact appeared in six amateur opera productions and in a concert for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,^[16] and had plans for a summer tour with that orchestra.^[9] Potts responded that he had not claimed to be completely untutored, only that he had never performed any concert for pay and was therefore an amateur. He also said that the Pavarotti masterclass he attended in Italy was paid for from his own savings and was a single masterclass, not regular coaching.^[17]

Post-BGT career[link]

In the United States, he was profiled on a National Public Radio programme called Day to Day,^[18] and appeared live on NBC's programme Today.^[19]

In July 2007, Potts performed his rendition of "Nessun dorma" at a Katherine Jenkins concert at Margam Park.^[20] On 16 July 2007, his debut album One Chance was released in the UK, and claimed the #1 spot in the UK Album Chart the following week. In December 2007, Prime Minister Gordon Brown presented Potts with a platinum disc for having sold 2,000,000 copies of his album.^[21]

On 13 December 2007, he performed in Leipzig in the live television broadcast of the 13th annual José Carreras Gala, accompanied by the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg under the direction of Scott Lawton.^[22] In January he began his concert series^[1] of 97 concerts in 85 cities across 23 countries; this ended on 12 November. This included three outdoor classical music concerts with the Finnish violinist Linda Brava and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra at Sofiero Palace, Sundbyholms Castle and Slottskogsvallen from 24 to 26 July.^[23] In the semi-finals of the 2009 series of Britain's Got Talent, Potts appeared in a comeback performance.

Potts was invited to appear on an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show about YouTube, a site where clips of his performances had been viewed over 92 million times as of April 2012;^[24] as of April 2009^[update], his first appearance on Britain's Got Talent was the fourth most viewed YouTube video in the UK. On 24 November 2007, Potts was interviewed on the National Public Radio programme Weekend Edition. On 15 August 2008, he performed before the German football season opener match between Bayern Munich and Hamburger SV in front of 69,000 visitors as well as on 2 September 2008 during the farewell game for Oliver Kahn.

In July 2008, Deutsche Telekom began using a TV and cinema advertisement centred on his Britain's Got Talent performance.^[25] In August 2008, he did a now famous duet with Daniel Powter on the Wolfbaggin' Tour. In October 2008, Paul Potts sang in Japanese TV advertisements for Ryukakusan Direct throat medicine manufactured by Ryukakusan.^[26] Potts received two nominations at the Echo Awards 2009 in Germany: Best International Male Artist and Album of the Year. He won the 2009 Echo Award for Best International Male Artist on 21 February 2009. On 22 April 2009, Potts was the guest co-host on the Australian television programme The Morning Show with Kylie Gillies. Expanding his talent to the online world, Paul Potts recently performed an exclusive in studio performance for AOL Sessions.^[27] He collaborated with Swedish singer Carola Häggkvist on her Christmas album Christmas in Bethlehem, singing "O Holy Night". Potts has appeared twice on the popular Korean Talent TV show "Star King", first in 2008 and once again in 2010.

Potts was in Toronto on 10 November 2010 performing a "flash opera" at the Union Subway Station to a moderately-sized crowd and finished to loud applause.^[28]

Potts has recently appeared in the Korean television program called "Qualifying Man".

Personal life[link]

Potts has been married since May 2003 to Julie-Ann (née Cooper) whom he met in an Internet chat room. They met in person for the first time at Swansea railway station in February 2001. She had the upper hand at this "first meeting" as she had a photograph of Potts, but he had no idea what she looked like.^[29] As of May 2009 he had assets of £5 million. ^[30] Potts has moved since BGT, but continues to live in Port Talbot.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

The song "Nessun Dorma" got the 19th best-selling single of 2008 in Germany and was certified as Gold for selling more than 150,000 copies^[33][34]. In the UK, the song charted due to digital downloads only.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Paul Potts on Myspace
• Paul Potts at Sony BMG
• Paul Potts biography from BBC Wales
• Paul Potts interview on The Hour
• Paul Potts Official site.[2]
• Paul Potts on Avex Taiwan (Chinese)

v t e Britain's Got Talent Got Talent Series 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 Presenters Ant & Dec · Stephen Mulhern Judges Current Simon Cowell · Amanda Holden · Alesha Dixon · David Walliams Former Kelly Brook · Piers Morgan · Michael McIntyre · David Hasselhoff Guest Louis Walsh · Carmen Electra Winners Paul Potts · George Sampson · Diversity · Spelbound · Jai McDowall · Ashleigh and Pudsey Other notable contestants Series 1 Bessie Cursons · Connie Talbot · Damon Scott · Bar Wizards · Jake Pratt Series 2 Signature · Andrew Johnston · Escala · Faryl Smith · Kate and Gin · Charlie Green · Charlie Wernham Series 3 Susan Boyle · Julian Smith · Aidan Davis · Hollie Steel · Shaheen Jafargholi · Callum Francis · DJ Talent · Flawless · John Farnworth Series 4 Twist and Pulse · Paul Burling · ReConnected · Myles and Connor · Kev Orkian · Stevie Starr · The Cheeky Girls · Matthew Ahmet Series 5 Ronan Parke · Out of the Blue Series 6 Jonathan and Charlotte · Only Boys Aloud · The Loveable Rogues · Ryan O'Shaughnessy  · Molly Rainford · The Zimmers Related articles List of episodes · Discography · SYCOtv · FremantleMedia · talkbackTHAMES · Thames · ITV Category

Natasha Jane Marsh (born 1975) is a Welsh operatic soprano. A highly-regarded performer in both opera and oratorio, her debut album, Amour, topped the classical album charts in 2007. She has toured with artists such as G4, Russell Watson, Il Divo and Paul Potts. Her love of football was confirmed when she sang at the 2008 League Cup Final and she has recorded Mozart's "Queen of the Night" aria for ITV's coverage of Euro 2008.

Personal life and early career[link]

Marsh was born in Brecon, Wales, but moved to Blackborough, near Cullompton, Devon aged eighteen months. Her father became Director of Music at the European School, Culham, Oxfordshire (he was previously Head of Music at Brecon High School). Her mother is an experienced vocal coach, and this love of music was instilled into Natasha and her two younger brothers at a young age. She saw The Sound of Music aged seven, and immediately wanted a career in musical theatre. While studying at the European School, Marsh was a member of the National Youth Music Theatre. Aged 17, she began studying with the renowned singing teacher April Cantelo, with whom she still has lessons. Marsh graduated with a First-class Honours degree from Birmingham University and was awarded the Barber Scholarship to study Opera at the Royal College of Music. In 1999 she won the MOCSA (Morriston Orpheus Choir Supporters' Association) Young Welsh Singer of the Year, whose previous winners have included Bryn Terfel and Anthony Stuart Lloyd.

Despite moving to Devon at an early age, Marsh is proud of her Welsh heritage:

Marsh is married to television composer Dobs Vye and is a keen supporter of Watford FC.^[2] On 23 July 2008, she announced on Loose Women, that she was pregnant with her first child. On 17 December, she gave birth to a son called Harley.^{[citation needed]}. On 23 November 2010, she announced the birth of her twins, Olivier Jay and Leo Xander.^[3]

Operatic debut and professional career[link]

Marsh made her debut with Grange Park Opera in Fortunio by Messager and sang the roles of the Governess in Britten's The Turn of the Screw and Donna Elvira on Mozart's Don Giovanni. She also created the title role in Michael Berkeley's opera Jane Eyre for Music Theatre Wales.

She has appeared in Opera Holland Park's La Boheme, sung Micaela in Carmen at the Royal Albert Hall and the First Lady in The Magic Flute with Glyndebourne Touring Opera. She also sang Ilia in Idomeneo for Opera North and the following year sang Pamina for Opera Zuid. She performed in Giordano's Fedora at Opera Holland Park.

Natasha's festival appearances include the Birmingham Early Music Festival, the London Handel Festival, the Beaumarais Festival and at the Teatro Calderón in Spain. Her oratorio work includes Tippett's A Child of our Time, Messiah at the Arlosen Festival, Mozart's Requiem with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Silete Venti with the London Handel Festival Orchestra at Windsor Castle. Natasha has performed with Harry Christophers and The Sixteen and made her BBC Proms debut in Handel's Samson. She also performs regularly at Raymond Gubbay's "Classical Spectacular" events at the Royal Albert Hall.

She toured with G4 in December 2006, and "realised one of her dreams" by singing Silent Night with José Carreras on the Royal Albert Hall stage. She toured with Russell Watson in March 2007 and also embarked on a European summer tour with Il Divo. In April, Marsh took part in the first Classic FM web-cast concert alongside Alfie Boe and in May made an appearance at the Classical Brit Awards 2007 ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall.

Marsh is currently^[when?] on a Scandinavian tour supporting tenor Paul Potts, 2007 winner of ITV's Britain's Got Talent.^[4]

In June 2008, Marsh sang at the House of Commons a song entitled 'I won't light a candle', a specially arranged vocal-arrangement of the theme to Schindler's List to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the birth of Anne Frank.^[2]

Marsh and football[link]

Marsh has also performed at sporting events; at the 2008 Football League Cup Final, she sang the British national anthem before the match.^[5] She has recorded Der Hölle Rache (the "Queen of the Night" aria) from Mozart's The Magic Flute for use as ITV's theme music for UEFA Euro 2008. "I was delighted to do it", she said. "I love the passion, beauty and power that football and music share."^[6] Marsh said of the arrangement:

I've sung Pamina in opera houses all round Europe, but I'm not a Queen of the Night, with those stratospheric top Fs. So I told ITV we'd have to do an adaptation, because it's not my role. We changed the key, obviously, then they found an arranger to add a different take on it. It's a little bit more brass-heavy than Mozart's original and the orchestration is different. It gives it a more epic quality.^[7][8]

Discography[link]

[edit] Amour

Natasha Marsh "Amour" album cover

Natasha Marsh signed an exclusive recording contract with EMI Classics in September 2006 and her debut album Amour was released on 19 February 2007. It entered the UK Classical Artist Chart at No.1. Her album has been criticized by opera critics, who were hoping for an album of operatic arias, rather than the "typical specimen of the crossover genre". The album contains some of Marsh's favourite songs and arias, mixing pop tunes, with classical arrangements and some lesser-known arias. Marsh was signed by EMI Classics as a crossover artist, Marsh citing the need to pick music that is "accessible to everybody across a broad spectrum. The challenge has been to find repertoire that isn't too clichéd."^[9] Amour was nominated for the Best Album award in the 2008 Classical BRIT awards.

Track listing[link]

1. "Si Un Jour" (theme from Jean de Florette, based on La Forza Del Destino) - Giuseppe Verdi, arranged Jean-Claude Petit
2. Gymnopédie No. 1 - Erik Satie
3. "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana" (from La Wally) - Alfredo Catalani
4. "Ai Giochi Addio" (love theme from Romeo and Juliet) - Nino Rota, lyrics by Elsa Morante
5. "Autumn Leaves" - Joseph Kosma, lyrics by Johnny Mercer
6. "Mi Mancherai" (theme from Il Postino) - Luis Bacalov
7. Chanson D'Amour, Op.27, No.1 - Gabriel Fauré
8. "He Moves, Eyes Follow" - Jimmy Webb
9. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" - Ewan MacColl
10. "Et Misericordia" (from Magnificat) - John Rutter
11. "La Delaissado" (from Chants d'Auvergne) - Joseph Canteloube
12. "Pur Ti Miro" (from L'incoronazione di Poppea) - Claudio Monteverdi
13. "Les Filles de Cadix" - Léo Delibes
14. Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14 - Sergei Rachmaninov

References[link]