Alfie Boe has performed at the Royal Albert Hall countless times, but never quite like this.
Now, the acclaimed tenor, 52, is preparing to return to the iconic stage on May 26 with his own songs, something he describes as a “real box tick” in his career.
“I’ve stood on that stage thousands of times and sung everyone else’s songs,” he told the Standard. “Now to go back and deliver my own, I just hope it’s worthy of that building.”
It is a striking admission from a performer who has spent more than two decades at the top of his field. But this moment, he suggests, carries a different kind of pressure.
The Royal Albert Hall has long been a constant in Boe’s career. Now an ambassador for the venue, he recalls a period when he was performing there almost every week.
“Every single time I’ve performed there has been a wonderful experience,” he says. “There was a point where I was on that stage nearly every week for a year, doing show after show, TV performances and big spectaculars. It became a huge part of my life.”
Returning with his own material, however, marks a shift.
“It’s about telling my story,” he says. “I just hope people get something special from it.”
That story forms the backbone of Face Myself, his latest album out April 10, and the first made up of predominantly original songs, which includes the lead single Meanwhile Gardens.
“It’s been a long process getting to this stage,” he says. “Being able to write and release my own music, and to be hands-on with the production as well.
“I’ve been playing instruments on it, working on the sound and shaping the creativity. It’s been a wonderful experience.”
For Boe, the album is not about reinvention so much as reflection.
“It’s a collection of songs that tell the story of my life, the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows,” he says. “It’s about appreciating how all of that has brought me to where I am today.”
Despite its introspective title, much of the record is rooted in memory and nostalgia rather than darkness.
“It sounds like it might be very deep and heavy, but actually a lot of it is fun,” he says. “It’s growing up in the north, going to Manchester, seeing indie bands, nights out, the Blackpool Illuminations. Those moments stay with you.”
Elsewhere on the record, he explores more personal territory, including the experience of being far from his children, who live in the United States, a reality underscored by his own schedule.
Though based in the UK, his career regularly takes him across the world, and he was speaking from Shanghai, where he had just performed.
“No matter how far you are from somebody that you love, your heart is always with them,” he says.
Away from the stage, Boe can be found painting, particularly portraits and abstract work. He also enjoys spending time riding his motorbikes.
Despite recently appearing on Celebrity MasterChef, he is self-deprecating about his skills in the kitchen.
“Judging by the way my cakes turned out, I don’t think I’ll be doing Bake Off,” he joked. “But you never know, I could rise to the challenge, or make a disaster of every cake.
“I love eating cake more than making it, so maybe I’d make a good judge.”
Alfie Boe’s album Face Myself is out April 10 The album will be supported by a 35-date UK tour this spring, kicking off in Dundee on April 14 and concluding in Cardiff on May 31, with stops including Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Nottingham. The run also includes a night at London’s Royal Albert Hall on May 26, ahead of dates in Australia and Asia later in the year.
