Biography
Emerging alongside Katherine Jenkins, Charlotte Church, and Natasha Marsh among Wales's prominent female operatic singers, Sara Kempe is a red-haired soprano whose ascent in the classical charts stemmed from an unexpected link to professional golf. She entered the world in Abergavenny in 1990 and first pursued vocal training simply to occupy her time at a boarding school in Hereford. By the age of 15 she had secured a position as a tea-girl at a local recording facility, hoping to gain practical experience and advance within the music business; after appearing at assorted clubs and corporate functions, Sir Terry Matthews—the proprietor of Gwent's Celtic Manor Resort, site of the 2010 Ryder Cup—took notice of her talent. He invited Kempe to record "Let Me Fly (Where Dragons Fly)," the inaugural official single tied to the tournament, which subsequently featured in its televised promotional spots. In the months that followed she secured a contract with EMI, delivered the National Anthem at the Welsh Grand National, and served as support for Aled Jones throughout his U.K. tour. Her debut album, Let Me Fly, arrived in 2011 and blended newly written material with interpretations of songs originally performed by Snow Patrol, Sarah McLachlan, and Cyndi Lauper; that same year she joined Paul Potts, the Priests, and Rhydian for the Classical Relief for Haiti charity recording of "The Prayer."