Alfie Boe has longed to make this album. Taking us back to yesteryear this collection of traditional, mainly Italian folk songs has stood up to the test of time and has served as a musical backdrop to celebrate the raw beauty, the passion of the Mediterranean through the generations. Alfie was the best kept secret in the classical world until a year ago; over the last 12 months he has enjoyed two chart topping classical albums and has enchanted audiences the length and breadth of the country. La Passione, Alfie’s autumnal album release, is a seductive slice of modern/ vintage classical folk music. Think sun drenched olive groves, the wild beauty of the Italian coast, 50’s vintage and you get close to the evocative force behind the making of La Passione.The songs featured on the album have been passed through many generations. They are songs of the street musician, the cantautore and the social protester. They are instinctive songs about loves lost and won, about grief and about the agony of leaving home or as Alfie would say ‘per la gente’ written by the people for the people.When Alfie began his studies at the Royal College of Music as an opera singer he was encouraged to explore this beautiful classical folk music.
As he immersed himself in the history of these arias he was immediately hooked on the tradition it was steeped in. Even in those early days his agenda was set - to bring classical music to the masses ensuring that this art form continues to be discovered, enjoyed and celebrated by music lovers now and for generations to come.