Classical
sales up by one million
Westenra
began singing at an early age
Classical music sales topped £65m in 2003 with an
increase of £5m on the previous year, according
to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
New Zealand's Hayley Westenra, 16, had the top-selling
classical album of the year with her debut Pure, which
has sold almost 600,000 copies in the UK.
Welsh
singer Bryn Terfel came in at number two, with Andrea
Bocelli and Aled Jones also in the top 10.
Classical
sales increased by one million copies to 14 million in
2003.
Half
of the top 10 are compilations, with titles such as Smooth
Classics - Do Not Disturb.
| TOP
10 CLASSICAL ALBUMS 2003 |
1.
Pure - Hayley Westenra
2. Bryn - Bryn Terfel
3. The Number One Classical Album 2003 - Various
4. Viaggio Italiano - Andrea Bocelli
5. Smooth Classics - Do Not Disturb - Various
6. The Very Best of Relaxing Classics - Various
7. Classical Chillout Gold - Various
8. The Very Best of Classical Chillout Gold - Various
9. Higher - Aled Jones
10. The Opera Band - Amici Forever
Source: BPI |
"In 2003 the classical record industry bounced back
with a whole range of exciting artists and innovative
compilations which brought classical music to new audiences,"
said BPI chairman Peter Jamieson.
Westenra
recorded Pure at the age of 15 and has been widely tipped
to become one of classical music's biggest stars of the
future.
The
New Zealander was first spotted in a school play when
she was six.
Bryn
Terfel's latest album brings together popular classics
from operas such as Carmen and The Pearlfishers, as well
as recordings of Hoagy Carmichael's Lazy Bones and My
Heart Will Go On from Titanic.
It
also features a duet with Andrea Bocelli following their
performance together at the Classical Brit awards last
year.
BBC
Radio 3, which concentrates on classical music, saw its
figures rise slightly to 2.2 million in January while
commercial station Classic FM has over six million listeners.
Item
advised by Roger Mansbridge
|
