Bringing classical pop to the masses

MYLEENE KLASS was in Guernsey last night to perform a fusion of classical and pop music at St James. The former member of HearSay came to perform in an evening's entertainment organised by Bank Julius Baer in support of the Great Ormond Street Hospital appeal.

'It's me, piano and a backing track,' said Miss Klass.

'Because it's hard to transport a whole orchestra, we recorded them in the studio. It is nice to travel with a piano and you can do little acoustic gigs but I can't bring the whole orchestra to Guernsey, so I'm bringing the closest thing to it.'

She said she was trying to bring classical music to people who might not otherwise be exposed to it.

'I was in a pop band and you can't take the girl out of pop - well, you can try to, but she'll bring it with her - so I thought I'd bring the pieces down to three minutes, put some beats in and make it a bit more accessible.

'I think it's criminal if you're a musician just to reproduce ideas. I don't understand all these purists and classical musicians who turn around and do Moonlight Sonata, version 555.

'It doesn't make any sense; there's nothing creative about that, so I did take Linkin Park and Guns 'n' Roses and Daniel Beddingfield but I also took pure classical pieces that rappers use. Nas, Justin Timberlake and Eminem all rap over the top of classical pieces but they don't admit to it because that doesn't make it quite so trendy.'

Miss Klass is no stranger to the Gosh appeal and has visited the hospital several times.

'The kids are inspirational,' she said. 'They always have a smile on their face; they're always really glad to see people and get some support. And I think it's just as important for the parents to feel that they're getting the support.

'It can be very difficult when they are trying to support their child and trying to keep a smile on their face constantly and keep up the shelter for them, but who's going to protect the parents? Who's going to give them a bit of encouragement as well?'

Local Gosh chairman David Lowe said that the charity was grateful for the support of Bank Julius Bauer and Miss Klass.

'We are delighted that Bank Julius Bauer are sponsoring Myleene,' he said. 'It's good that someone of her calibre supports the charity.

'We are doing very nicely and there are lots of things in the pipeline. People have taken to this in a big way because, when it is explained about the need for Guernsey parents taking children to Great Ormond Street, it's a huge weight off their minds that they don't have to find somewhere to stay.'