Singer Sarah Brightman hopes Christmas concert will bring some happiness

Dec. 10—Things are getting back to normal in London and Sarah Brightman is excited about it.

"People are shopping and it's wonderful," she says. "It's quite a turn from last Christmas when we started to go into lockdown for the second or third time."

This is when Brightman decided she wanted to do a Christmas show.

"I'm invested in it," she says. "I put together the repertoire and I found a wonderful set designer."

The Grammy-nominated artist is presenting "Sarah Brightman: A Christmas Symphony," which was filmed at the Christ Church Spitalfields in London. It will air at 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, on the World channel 5.4.

Brightman is known for her three-octave range and pioneering the classical crossover music movement. She's sold more than 30 million albums worldwide all while amassing up more than 180 gold and platinum awards in over 40 countries.

She is also known for her iconic star turn in "The Phantom of the Opera," whose soundtrack has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Her duet with Andrea Bocelli, "Time To Say Goodbye," became an international success selling 12 million copies worldwide.

Brightman says she wanted to breathe new life into a bevy of holiday classics and festive fan favorites for the season.

She says Christmastime is important to her family and is one of her favorite times, which is why she put in a lot of effort into selecting the repertoire.

"I wanted something that fits everyone's needs," she says. "I wanted to do songs for everyone. There are spiritual pieces, some wonderful orchestra pieces and ballet music. There are also pieces from my hits. And there are lots of choir pieces and those songs that touch on not having a good time at Christmas."

She handpicked the set, which explores various eras of the Christmas canon, and performs "Silent Night," "I Believe In Father Christmas," "Ave Maria," "Colder Than Winter" and "Amazing Grace."

Brightman is also joined by Aled Jones and choir Gregorian, as well as reunited with Andrew Lloyd Webber for a beautiful new arrangement of "Christmas Dream," a holiday classic written by Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

Brightman is looking forward to touring in the United States again.

She hopes the Christmas concert will bring some happiness to the holiday.

"I think people want to get into the spirit of Christmas," she says. "This show is fun and at the end of the year, we need to be introspective and joyous. I'm hoping to expand the show and hopefully making it an annual event."

On TV

"Sarah Brightman: A Christmas Symphony" airs at 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12 on World channel 5.4.