Faryl

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title: "Faryl" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2009-debut-albums", "faryl-smith-albums", "universal-classics-and-jazz-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faryl" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	Faryl
type	studio
artist	Faryl Smith
cover	Faryl album cover.png
border	yes
alt	An album cover depicting a smiling, brown-haired girl in her early teens on a white background, featuring "FARYL" in bold, red letters.
released	9 March 2009
recorded	December 2008 – January 2009
genre	Classical crossover
label	Universal Classics and Jazz
producer	Jon Cohen
next_title	Wonderland
next_year	2009
::

::callout[type=note] the album ::

Faryl is the debut album by British mezzo-soprano Faryl Smith, released on 9 March 2009 by Universal Classics and Jazz. Smith rose to fame after her appearance on the second series of Britain's Got Talent and signed with Universal after the competition. The album was recorded during December 2008 and January 2009 and features the track "River of Light", a song set to The Blue Danube with new lyrics. Faryl was produced by Jon Cohen, and the backing music was provided by a 60-piece orchestra. As part of the album's promotion, Smith made numerous television and radio appearances and filmed a music video for "River of Light". Around this time, she met with then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street.

After its release, Faryl became the fastest-selling classical solo album in British chart history, selling 20,000 copies in the first four days, and a total of 29,200 copies in the first week, more than any other debut album of a classical singer. Faryl entered the UK Albums Chart at number 6, rising to number 4 the next week, and was the third album by a Britain's Got Talent contestant to reach the top ten in Britain. Smith subsequently embarked on a promotional tour in the US to publicise the album, where it reached number 6 on the classical chart.

Faryl was fairly well received by critics, who praised Smith's performances and Cohen's production. However, criticism was directed at the use of the orchestra and at the song choices. As one of the ten best-selling classical albums in the UK in 2009, Faryl was nominated for a Classical BRIT Award in the album of the year category but lost to Only Men Aloud's Band of Brothers. In 2013, the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry.

Background

Smith rose to fame when she, aged 12, competed in the second series of ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent. During the series, she performed "Ave Maria" and a cover of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel". After her initial performance, she received singing lessons from Yvie Burnett, a move criticised by the press. Although she was at one point the favourite to win, she finished outside the top three in the live final. During the competition, Smith rejected offers of a record deal.

Recording

Faryl was recorded in London during Smith's Christmas holiday during December 2008 and January 2009 and completed on 3 January.

{{cite news |first=David |last=Jackson |title=Fan Faryl lends Kettering Town her vocal support |url=http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Fan-Faryl-lends-Kettering-Town.4833367.jp |work=Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph |date=30 December 2008 |access-date=30 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Fan-Faryl-lends-Kettering-Town.4833367.jp |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead
{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Garside |title=Kettering conjure more FA Cup magic |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/facup/4109408/Kettering-conjure-more-FA-Cup-magic.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=5 January 2009 |access-date=5 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/facup/4109408/Kettering-conjure-more-FA-Cup-magic.html |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead |first=Darren |last=Devine |title=How Calon Lân helped Faryl to stardom |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/03/03/how-calon-l-n-helped-faryl-to-stardom-91466-23047987/ |publisher=Western Mail |date=3 March 2009 |access-date=3 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/03/03/how-calon-l-n-helped-faryl-to-stardom-91466-23047987/ |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead

Universal had received the first shipment of Faryl, but due to a pressing error, though they looked like Smith's albums, they actually contained the music of The Fall's album Imperial Wax Solvent. The mix-up received attention from the international press, including an article in Canadian magazine Exclaim!.{{cite news |first=Brock |last=Thiessen |title=Universal mistakenly presses the Fall album instead of teen Got Talent winner |url=http://exclaim.ca/News/universal_mistakenly_presses_fall_album_instead_of_teen_got_talent_winner |work=Exclaim! |date=3 March 2009 |access-date=14 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://exclaim.ca/News/universal_mistakenly_presses_fall_album_instead_of_teen_got_talent_winner |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead

Promotion

Promotion began in January, with performances by Smith at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and appearances at the debut of the Oliver! 2009 revival.{{cite news |first=Monique |last=Cleaver |title=Singer Faryl gets used to red carpet |url=http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Singer-Faryl-gets-used-to.4891728.jp |work=Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph |date=20 January 2009 |access-date=20 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Singer-Faryl-gets-used-to.4891728.jp |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead |title=Singer Faryl to appear on Loose Women |url=http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Singer-Faryl-to-appear-on.5027628.jp |publisher=Northampton Chronicle & Echo |date=2 March 2009 |access-date=2 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Singer-Faryl-to-appear-on.5027628.jp |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead |title=Teen star Faryl Smith is living the dream |url=http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/local/teen-star-faryl-smith-is-living-the-dream-1-727632 |work=Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph |date=4 March 2009 |access-date=4 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406130050/http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/local/teen-star-faryl-smith-is-living-the-dream-1-727632 |archive-date=6 April 2012 |url-status=dead

After the UK release, Dickon Stainer, head of Universal Classics and Jazz, spoke of plans to publicise Faryl in the US, saying "America is going to be key. Because of her history on the talent show there's already a great deal of interest in her. The demand is intense." Faryl was released in the US on 5 May. Smith said before the release that she did not expect it to sell as well as it did in the UK. She said that "in the US it's a lot harder because I'm not as well-known. In the UK, a lot of people obviously watched 'Britain's Got Talent' and stuff, and that was like fresh in everyone's minds."{{cite news |title=Faryl hopes for US success |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Faryl+hopes+for+US+success.-a0202434746 |publisher=TheFreeLibrary.com |agency=ITN |date=3 May 2009 |access-date=3 May 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913143755/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Faryl+hopes+for+US+success.-a0202434746 |archive-date=13 September 2012 |url-status=dead

{{cite news |title=Faryl Smith to release Christmas album |newspaper=Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph |date=26 September 2009 |url=http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Faryl-Smith-to-release-Christmas.5680978.jp |access-date=15 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Faryl-Smith-to-release-Christmas.5680978.jp |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead

Reception

| rev1 = The Times | rev1score = | rev2 = The Observer | rev2score = | rev3 = Allmusic | rev3score = Reviewers were generally impressed by Smith's performances. Pete Paphides, writing for The Times, said that the songs were performed "with power and restraint", while Johnny Davis, writing for The Observer, said "[y]ou can practically hear Katherine Jenkins weep as Faryl flawlessly executes Amazing Grace". Jason Birchmeier, writing for Allmusic, considered Smith's performance even more noteworthy because of her young age. However, though he considered Smith's voice impressive, Malcolm Mackenzie, writing for The London Paper, asked "will we care when the kid from Kettering loses her precocious appeal?" Reviewers also responded positively to Cohen's contribution to the album. Paphides claimed that his arrangements "suggest some kind of aesthetic endeavour beyond the basic thing for which they exist", while Birchmeier claimed that the album was "produced with fine precision".

Reviewers were more critical of the use of the orchestra. Helen Sloan, writing for Crackerjack (Bristol Evening Post) found that the orchestra rendered "the whole thing a bit bland and movie-soundtrack", and Birchmeier found it to be "a bit overwhelming" by the end of the album. Further, he was critical of the inclusion of "Amazing Grace" and "Ave Maria", considering them to be overly predictable song choices. Though he was pleasantly surprised by some of the inclusions (such as "River of Light" and "The Way Old Friends Do"), he concluded that "[i]t's too bad that [Smith] isn't given more creative material to sing. One hopes her next album is more adventurous."

Overall, Paphides awarded the album 3 out of a possible 5 stars, and compared it favourably to three other Mothering Sunday releases, Lionel Richie's Just Go, Ronan Keating's Songs for My Mother and Barry Manilow's The Greatest Songs of the Eighties, considering it stronger than any of the others. Davis also awarded the album 3 out of 5, while Birchmeier was slightly more positive, awarding Faryl 3.5 out of 5.

Performance

At the beginning of February, Faryl was placed at 295 in Amazon.co.uk's best-sellers chart and 13 in its easy listening chart, based on pre-orders alone.{{cite news |title=Faryl Smith to take centre stage at Six Nations event |url=http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Faryl-Smith-to-take-centre.4943952.jp |work=Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph |date=4 February 2009 |access-date=4 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Faryl-Smith-to-take-centre.4943952.jp |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead |title=Faryl's album boost after singing for England at Twickenham |url=http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/faryl-s-album-boost-after-singing-for-england-at-twickenham-1-887169 |publisher=Northampton Chronicle & Echo |date=16 March 2009 |access-date=16 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/faryl-s-album-boost-after-singing-for-england-at-twickenham-1-887169 |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead |first=Paul |last=Sexton |title=U2, Comic Relief Top U.K. Charts |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/269201/u2-comic-relief-top-uk-charts |magazine=Billboard |date=16 March 2009 |access-date=16 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126025043/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/269201/u2-comic-relief-top-uk-charts |archive-date=26 January 2010 |url-status=dead |first=Michael |last=Holden |title=Lady Gaga tops pop charts again |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-charts-idUKTRE52L19220090322 |work=Reuters |date=22 March 2009 |access-date=22 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2009/03/22/uk-britain-charts-idUKTRE52L19220090322 |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/index.jsp |title=Faryl – Faryl Smith |access-date=5 October 2011 |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/index.jsp |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead |url=http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/local/faryl-needs-county-support-for-award-1-747448 |title=Faryl needs county support for award |newspaper=Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph |author=Cleaver, Monique |date=19 February 2010 |access-date=14 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/local/faryl-needs-county-support-for-award-1-747448 |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead

In February 2010, after the release of Wonderland, Faryl was nominated for a Classical BRIT Award in the album category. The category is voted for by the public, and the shortlist comprises the ten best-selling classical albums of the previous year.{{cite news |title=Pope nominated for Classical Brit Award |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=15 February 2010 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/7236270/Pope-nominated-for-Classical-Brit-Award.html |access-date=19 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/7236270/Pope-nominated-for-Classical-Brit-Award.html |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead |title=Male choir beat Pope to Classical Brit Awards title |publisher=BBC |date=13 May 2010 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10115620 |access-date=19 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10115620 |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=dead |title=Faryl Smith is 'youngest' double Classical Brit nominee |publisher=BBC News |date=13 April 2010 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8616951.stm |access-date=19 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604003802/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8616951.stm |archive-date=4 June 2008 |url-status=live

Track listing

Personnel

Edgar Leslie Bainton – Assistance
Andy Bradfield – Mixing
Nick Cervonaro – Digital editing
Paul Chessell – Design
Barry Clark – Children's choirmaster
Jon Cohen – Guitar, piano, arrangement, programming and production
Rupert Coulson – Engineering
Tony Dunne – A&R
Tom Lewis – A&R
The London Session Orchestra – Orchestra
Darren Loveday – Guitar and mandolin
Steve Lowe – Engineering
Cliff Masterson – Arrangement, conducting and orchestration
Jennie O'Grady – Choir conducting
Maureen Scott – Vocal coaching
David Theodore – Oboe
Alan Unsworth – Engineering

Charts

Chart positions

::data[format=table]

Chart	Peak position	UK Albums Chart	US Top Heatseekers	US Top Classical
4
31
6
::

References

Notes

General references

References

(31 May 2008). "Britain's Got Talent: Stunning Faryl misses out on top three". [[Northampton Chronicle & Echo]].
Gold, Laura. (12 May 2008). "Simon Cowell's secret singing lessons for Britain's Got Talent's Faryl Smith". [[Daily Mirror]].
Armstrong, Stephen. (14 March 2009). "Faryl Smith: 'My mum won't let me get big headed'". [[The Independent]].
Lyons, Beverley. (3 March 2009). "She'll go Faryl". [[Daily Record (Scotland).
Foster, Patrick. (10 March 2009). "Teenage singer Faryl Smith takes on U2 with launch of debut album". [[The Times]].
O'Brien, Jon. "Faryl Smith". [[AllMusic]].
(27 April 2009). "Faryl Smith on Ellen DeGeneres show". Metro News.
(13 May 2009). "Faryl's up for the cup". [[Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph]].
Inman, Becky. (1 June 2009). "Faryl nets 90,000 fans at cup final". Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph.
Paphides, Pete. (13 March 2009). "Faryl Smith, Lionel Richie and albums for Mother's Day". [[The Times]].
Davis, Johnny. (15 March 2009). "Pop review: Faryl, Faryl". [[The Observer]].
Birchmeier, Jason. "Faryl – Faryl Smith". [[AllMusic]].
Mackenzie, Malcolm. (20 March 2009). "Taylor Swift, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vetiver, Polly Scattergood, Faryl and Kelly Clarkson". [[The London Paper]].
Sloan, Helen. (5 March 2009). "Faryl Smith: Faryl (CD)". Crackerjack.
Morgan, Clive. (9 March 2009). "Interview with Faryl Smith". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
(13 March 2009). "Faryl Smith storms up the charts". [[MSN]].
Pearson, Ryan. (14 May 2009). "Faryl Smith embraces Charlotte Church comparison". [[The Seattle Times]].
"Certified Awards". [[British Phonographic Industry.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::