HOW SINGING TAMES LUKE’S TOURETTE’S

There are those fortunate few like Katherine Jenkins who are born with the most beautiful voice, a talent that can be nurtured and enjoyed by people all over the world. But most of us mere mortals sound like strangled cats when we belt out a tune in the shower, and so spend our lives denying ourselves the pleasure of singing.

Yet Katherine, who was a vocal coach before she signed the recordbreaking £1 million deal that set her on the path to stardom, insists anyone can be taught to sing – even those who’ve been told their voices could curdle milk. Now, in a new Sky Arts series, she’s putting her reputation on the line to prove her point.

‘I’ve always said anyone can sing,’ she says. ‘Obviously people sing at different levels of ability, but the main part of singing is enjoying it and feeling part of a community. I’ve always wanted to go back to teaching, I got so much out of it. Mentoring young people was a real treat and this feels like a similar experience.’

Singing has always been more than a job for Katherine. ‘I can’t remember a time without it,’ she says. ‘I can’t imagine my life without it. I get up every morning and warm up my voice to check it’s still there. After I’ve dealt with the children, it’s the first thing I do every day.’

The Welsh mezzo-soprano’s musical talent was encouraged by her father Selwyn, who would take her to lessons. When he died of lung cancer when she was just 15, she was driven to succeed for him. Even today, she dedicates every performance to him. Throughout the pandemic she hosted Facebook shows from her home for hundreds of thousands of fans around the world, with her film producer husband Andrew Levitas behind the camera and their children Aaliyah, six, and Xander, three, making frequent scene-stealing appearances.

But little did her audience know she was coping with her own grief after the death of her brother-in-law Gavin Johnson. Her little sister Laura’s husband died in May 2020, the same month Katherine lifted the nation when performing songs on VE Day from the Royal Albert Hall and Buckingham Palace. The family have not revealed the cause of death.

Katherine was not even allowed to see Laura to comfort her and the two little boys who’d lost their father. ‘I lost

Katherine says the participant she was most taken with was Luke (below), who’s suffered seizures from swelling on the brain, leading him to develop a stammer and Tourette’s syndrome four years ago. But all his vocal and physical tics disappear when he sings.

‘I was so impressed with Luke,’ she says. ‘I had such a soft spot for him. The challenges he faced were huge, and he did such a great job. It’s very interesting that his tics stop when he’s singing – that shows music is having a very positive influence on him, as it does on all of us.’

‘Music’s such an incredible therapy, it lifts us up’

my brother-in-law in the pandemic and I felt we were all in this situation together,’ Katherine said later. ‘We’re all going through the same thing. Laura doesn’t want me to say too much, but children are very resilient and the boys are doing really well.’

The difficulties of the last few years were another reason why she was keen to take part in this new four-part series, called Anyone Can Sing, which gives six members of the public masterclasses in everything from vocal technique to stage presence in the hope of giving them enough confidence to perform at the London Coliseum in front of 2,500 people in just three months.

‘The show ties in with everything we’ve all lived through and had taken