Aled Jones treats his audience to a delightful evening of anecdote, humour, video clips, photo montages and live music showcasing his career from boy soprano taking the world by storm right up to the present as celebrity and star of tv with such shows as Songs of Praise and as a regular presenter on Classic FM. Just as important he is still singing and producing successful albums which sell in their millions and enable him to do what is closest to his heart – sing – and hence the title of this show.
The stage is simple but effective and atmospheric, with an armchair (complete with a Classic FM cushion) and coffee table to one side, a screen, an illuminated Snowman figure at the front (a nice touch this) and all lit with a myriad of sparkling stars. When Jones sings he walks centre stage to deliver. The whole ambience is one of warmth and cosiness, as if Jones is sitting in your own living room and regaling you with intimate tales from his life and extensive back catalogue.
This one-man tour includes everything we have come to know and love about Aled Jones over the years along with a few surprises thrown in for good measure, all delivered with wit, humour, warmth and sincerity. Some may question the length of the show at ninety minutes divided equally into two halves and the fact that there isn’t more live music (three or four numbers at most) but this is not a concert – it is one man telling his life story with the aid of video clips (all expertly chosen and put together) and the occasional live song. Whilst more would have been welcome the show still gives excellent value and is not really diminished by its running time.
Ask the person in the street to name one thing they know about Aled Jones and it’s likely Walking In The Air will get a mention but there is far more to know than his involvement with the iconic animated film beloved by millions and revived every Christmas on TV. Jones was born in a small village in Bangor, Caernarfonshire and his Welsh roots play a proud part in his life. He was raised in a Welsh speaking community on Anglesey and his parents still live there. His mum used to cut his hair until he was in his teens and he was bullied at school. At age nine he joined the choir of Bangor Cathedral and within two years he was lead soloist. He recounts that he was “discovered” by a member of the congregation who appreciated the remarkable quality of his treble voice and wrote a letter to a record company about him. He was duly signed by them. Jones acknowledges all the love, support and encouragement he received from his parents and the village in which he grew up right throughout his early years right to this day.
There followed his success with The Snowman although it must be stressed that Jones did not sing on the original soundtrack (although many people still think he did) but merely recorded the main song afterwards. He tells that wherever he goes he still gets asked to sing it and it has haunted him (but in a nice way) ever since. In the 1980s he had sung all over the world from the Vatican to Buckingham Palace and numbered the Pope, royalty such as the Queen and Prince Philip (who had a running gag with him asking if his voice had broken yet – so Prince Philip!), Prince Charles and Diana, rock stars such as Bob Geldof, George Michael, Elton John and David Bowie and classical composers and artists such as Leonard Bernstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber amongst his fans, both of whom he developed a special bond with. Bernstein, who regarded him with strong affection, recorded the Chichester Psalms with him and he also took the leading role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in 1995 (a part he’d never thought he’d get). The noughties saw his TV and radio career really take off and he is a seasoned and much loved presenter and interviewer on shows such as Songs of Praise and Classic FM. Indeed, he will be on the radio the very next morning presenting his show whilst performing his one man show at a different venue on his tour that evening, thus demonstrating his work ethic and professional standards. One video clip that is of great interest is seeing him do the jive on Strictly Come Dancing and revealing his ten seconds when he completely forgot his routine and had to make it up on the hoof. He was a good mover though.
One of Jones’ heroes is the late, great Sir Terry Wogan and Jones released two singles with him in aid of the Children in Need appeal. One of these was Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth, a clip of which is shown and Jones expresses his obvious love and admiration for the man in a moving tribute. Interestingly it is this song and not Walking in the Air that reached the highest chart position (no. 2) and was pipped by none other than Bruce Springsteen!
Jones opens the second half of the show with a rendition of a song that was specially written for him about his experience of his voice breaking. This is highly amusing and an Aled Jones that has not been seen before. The second half is more of the same as the first with Jones bringing the story up to date. Jones is refreshingly honest and self-effacing, explaining how he carved out a new career for himself on stage, record, television and radio. One thing that shines throughout is his obvious love and pride in his family – his wife and two children and parents. He has certainly come a long way from his idyllic childhood on the Welsh island of Anglesey and his years as a chorister at Bangor Cathedral and is now probably one of the most well known Welshmen in the world. It is a privilege to share his life story and to spend an hour and a half in his company.
Reviewed on 30th May 2025. On national tour.
