On first glance at the cover of this vocal recital, one ponders the question, does this striking soprano sound as good as she looks? In fact she sounds every bit as good – and more. Not only is her voice beautifully rich and creamy (in the vein of Kiri Te Kanawa and Renee Fleming), but her interpretations are dignified and moving. Royal’s chosen repertoire stems from both well-known twentieth-century opera (Dvorak’s gorgeous Song to the Moon and Lehar’s Vilja from The Merry Widow) to lesser known but equally lovely works by Alwyn, Barber, Hermann, Korngold and Britten.

The focus is on female characters, many of them from great literary works like Henry James’s Turn of the Screw and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Themes are sinister and dark in nature, with heroines vulnerable and lost in love. Despite these intense themes, the overall listening experience leaves you feeling enriched, uplifted and wanting to hear more from this talented and beautiful young singer. In a word: delicious.