Les Misérables (Manchester Company - EP)
[825646924684]

£4.47

'I Dreamed A Dream' – sung here by Ria Jones – was the focus of intense media interest in 2009 following Susan Boyle's performance on Simon Cowell's UK TV talent show 'Britain's Got Talent' (see below), which gave this song a new lease of life in the singles and album charts.

1. I Dreamed a Dream - Ria Jones
2. Stars - Philip Quast
3. On My Own - Meredith Braun
4. Bring Him Home - Jeff Leyton
5. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables - Mike Sterling

Susan Boyle (born 1961)^[1] is a Scottish^[2] amateur singer and church volunteer who came to public attention on 11 April 2009,^[3] when she appeared as a contestant on the third series of Britain's Got Talent.^[4] Boyle found fame when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables in the competition's first round.^[5]

Before she sang, both the audience and the judges appeared to express scepticism based on her unpolished appearance. In contrast, her vocal performance was so well received that she has been dubbed "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell."^[6] She received a standing ovation from the live audience, garnering yes-votes from Cowell and Amanda Holden, and the "biggest yes I have ever given anybody" from Piers Morgan.^[7] The audition was recorded in January 2009 at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow, Scotland,^[8] and was first broadcast on Saturday, 11 April 2009 in Britain.

The juxtaposition of the reception to her voice with the audience's first impression of her triggered global interest. Articles about her appeared in newspapers all over the world, while the numbers who watched videos of her audition set an online record.^[9] By 20 April 2009, a mere 9 days after her televised debut, viral videos of her audition, subsequent interviews of her, and her 1999 rendition of "Cry Me a River" had been viewed over 100 million times on the Internet.^[10] The clip is expected to pass the record for an online video of 120 million views in a matter of days.^[11] Cowell is reported to be setting up a contract with Boyle with his Syco Music company label, a subsidiary of Sony Music.^[12]

Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of the Les Misérables musical, also praised the performance, stating: "Just like the judges and audience, I was gob-smacked by the emotional powerhouse performance of Susan Boyle's show-stopping rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream". Vocally, it is one of the best versions of the song I've ever heard - touching, thrilling and uplifting. I do hope she gets to sing it for the Queen."^[13]

Click here for more Susan Boyle info.

References:
1. Profile: Susan Boyle - Britain's got the unlikeliest angel, The Sunday Times, April 19, 2009.
2. Holmwood, Leigh. Susan Boyle: a dream come true The Guardian 18 April 2009.
3. Smith, Mark (2009-04-11). What's the story with ... Susan Boyle?. The Herald. Retrieved on 2009-04-15.
4. Talent show singer is online hit. BBC News. 2009-04-15. Retrieved on 2009-04-15.
5. Jordan, Mary (2009-04-14). The Scot Heard Round the World. The Washington Post: p. A-8. Retrieved on 2009-04-16.
6. The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell. ABC News. 2009-04-14. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
7. Wylie, Ian (2009-04-11). Dreaming The Dream. Manchester Evening News. Retrieved on 2009-04-23.
8. Fox news, Simon Cowell interview. 2009-04-16. Retrieved on 2009-04-16.
9. Scottish Singer's Audition Video Sets Online Record. The Washington Post. 19 April 2009. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
10. Dobuzinskis, Alex. Susan Boyle breaks past 100 million online views, Reuters, April 20, 2009.
11. Ben Leach (2009-04-23) Susan Boyle's Britain's Got Talent performance sets YouTube record. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2009-04-24.
12. Never Been Kissed' Singer, 47, Wows Cowell. MSNBC News. 2009-04-15. Retrieved on 2009-04-15.
13. Producer Mackintosh 'Gob-Smacked' By Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream"; Song Is YouTube Hit. Playbill News. 2009-04-15. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.

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Les Misérables (Manchester Company - EP)[825646924684]

Les Misérables (Manchester Company - EP)
[825646924684]