Jackie Evancho certainly lives up to her name as a singing prodigy with her latest album, Dream with Me. It is hard to believe that an 11-year-old can sing with such stunning depth.
The opening chimes of the first song, When You Wish Upon A Star, create a fantasy mood that matches the album's title. It is also fitting that this song, made so famous by Disney, is the album's opening track. But the track that really stands out is Nessun Dorma. Although it was made famous by the late opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, Jackie hits all the right notes in her own rendition. She is also backed up by powerful strings and sonorous cymbals at the climax.
The fact that Jackie is a soprano - not a tenor like Pavarotti - gives a refreshing quality to this age-old tune.
Also worthy of mention is the song Lovers. Its opening moments evoke Mulan, with the loud, foreboding drumming hinting at an Oriental war cry. This is immediately followed by Jackie's gentle voice, in a uniquely memorable contrast.
The album ends on a gentler note with the title track, but Jackie is no less compelling here. The strength and intensity of her voice is particularly evident at the highest notes, and the lyrics (for example, 'If I could capture the moon / And paint a sky full of blue') really remind us that Jackie is still so young. The measured, relaxed melodies put us at ease in a perfect end for the album.