All Angels

In 2006 the British teen vocal quartet All Angels debuted with what was then the fastest-selling classical album in U.K. chart history, earning the nickname “the classical Spice Girls” from Guardian Unlimited. The group originated as a project of producer and manager Steve Abbott, already known for guiding the classical crossover successes of the Choirboys and Nicola Benedetti. Following a nationwide search, Abbott assembled four teenagers: aspiring pilot Melanie Nakhla; aspiring actress Charlotte Ritchie, whose résumé included a minor part in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Laura Wright, then the BBC Radio 2 Young Chorister of the Year; and Daisy Chute, who had released her own solo jazz album at age fifteen. Abbott secured a recording contract with Universal, whose marketing outlay for the quartet’s self-titled first album reportedly surpassed £1 million. Blending classical and pop material that ranged from Schubert’s “Ave Maria” to Robbie Williams’ “Angels,” the record entered the British pop chart at number nine after moving 33,000 copies in its opening week, surpassing prior benchmarks set by Luciano Pavarotti and Charlotte Church. Into Paradise, issued in 2007, drew on songs by Mozart and Coldplay, whereas Fly Away (2010) concentrated chiefly on American sources such as Norah Jones and Elvis Presley.