From humble beginnings has sprung a bright new opera star – Paul Potts. And, if his first album is anything to go by, this star will be burning brightly for a long time. For an ex-mobile phone salesman, Potts is doing surprisingly well for himself.

Potts has released his debut album, One Chance, on the back of his Britain’s Got Talent success. And what a good album it is.

He has tackled some of the standards of classical opera, however his interpretation of them is original. He has given them a fresh new sound, without sacrificing any of the class and sophistication of the original versions.

His version of Nessun Dorma, the opening track, is worthy of high praise. His soaring vocals are here contrasted with the orchestral accompaniment that is just right. The lyrics, translated as “Nobody will discover his name And we shall have to die, alas! Die! Depart, o night! Set, you stars! Set, you stars! At dawn I shall win! I shall win!” befit the outpouring of emotion that is almost palpable.

Potts has also tackled some more contemporary, popular songs. Despite the fact that these are mostly sung in Italian, this does not detract from the accessibility of the album – all the tracks are highly enjoyable. His version of Your Raise Me Up is a particular standout.

Potts finishes the album with a version of Music of the Night, the classic song from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Phantom of the Opera. While this is not the best version I have heard, it is still a strong rendition that rounds off the album nicely. The only objection I would have here, and it is a minor one, is that Music of The Night does have some almost stalker-like overtones to it. Consider the lyric “Let your fantasies unwind In this darkness which you know you cannot fight The darkness of the music of the night” The character in the song, the Phantom, is encouraging the young girl he has essentially kidnapped to open herself up to the dark forces of his music. He wants her to belong to him, and no-one else. However, apart from this vaguely sinister lyric, there is nothing objectionable at all in the CD.

Potts’ voice is strong, well-controlled and he sings as though he means it, which is something sorely lacking in many contemporary artists. What he has done with this album is nothing original (think Il Divo, the Ten Tenors, Andrea Bocelli and more), yet his fresh take on them means that the listener does not feel ripped off. These songs have been done countless times before and yet, with this CD, you feel as though you could be hearing them for the first time.

Potts, along with his contemporaries, is succeeding in introducing the masses to the one inaccessible opera world. Once the last bastion of the cultural snob, opera, thanks to these artists, is now more popular than ever. I would highly recommend this album.