Faryl Smith

Faryl Smith (born 23 July 1995) is a British teen mezzo-soprano who rose to fame after appearing on the second series of the ITV television talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2008. She received praise throughout the competition, and although the favourite to win after the second round, she finished outside the top three in the live final on 31 May. During the competition, she was tutored by singing coach Yvie Burnett and received offers from various record labels. After the show, she, unlike other finalists, did not sign with Simon Cowell's Syco, although she did appear on fellow finalist Andrew Johnston's debut album, One Voice.  Smith signed a contract with Universal Classics and Jazz for a £2.3 million advance in December 2008, the largest ever granted to a schoolgirl. Her debut album, Faryl, was recorded from December 2008 to January 2009 and released in March 2009. Faryl became the fastest-selling solo classical album in British chart history, selling 29,200 copies in the first week. It debuted at number six, but rose to number four in the following week, making Smith the third Britain's Got Talent contestant to have a top ten album. In 2010, on account of Faryl, Smith was nominated for two Classical BRIT Awards and became the youngest artist ever to receive a double nomination.  Smith's second album, Wonderland, was released in November 2009. A concept album based on Alice in Wonderland, the album was well received by critics, but was not successful in the charts. After the release of Wonderland, Smith's contract with Universal ended. In addition to releasing her albums, she featured on a charity cover of "The Prayer", released in March 2010, provided vocals for the 2012 album The Magic of a Thousand Strings by the International Harp Ensemble, and has performed at numerous events, including the 2009 Royal Variety Performance. Smith lives with her parents in Kettering, where she is currently taking a gap year before applying to music conservatoires.