# All Angels
**All Angels** were a British classical crossover vocal quartet formed in 2006 in London, made up of four teenage singers selected by Universal Classics and Jazz (UCJ) to blend choral-style singing with pop repertoire[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173). Dubbed "the classical Spice Girls" in the pages of Britain's *Guardian Unlimited*, they emerged in 2006 with the fastest-selling classical debut in U.K. chart history[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2006 in London, England, by Universal Classics and Jazz (UCJ), with involvement from Decca[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173) • [2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/) |
| Original members | Charlotte Ritchie, Daisy Chute, Laura Wright, and Melanie Nakhla, chosen by producer/manager Steve Abbott[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173) |
| Debut album | *All Angels* (2006), released November 13, 2006; 48:06 running time[3](https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-angels-mw0000459737) |
| Chart peak | No. 9 on the Official UK Albums Chart (first chart date 25/11/2006, 8 weeks on chart); No. 2 on the Classical Artist Albums Chart, where it ran 81 weeks[4](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/all-angels-all-angels/) |
| First-week sales | 33,000 copies, described as the fastest-selling classical debut in U.K. chart history[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173) |
| Later releases | *Into Paradise* (2007), *Fly Away* (2010), and the EP *Starlight* (2010), their first independent release[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173) • [2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/) |
| Lineup change | Laura Wright left in mid-2010 and was replaced by Rachel Fabri[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/) |
## Formation
All Angels were the brainchild of producer and manager Steve Abbott, who had previously worked with the classical crossover acts the Choirboys and [Nicola Benedetti](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicola-benedetti)[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173). After a nationwide search, Abbott selected four teenagers: Melanie Nakhla, an aspiring pilot from [Shrewsbury](https://www.edgepedia.org/shrewsbury) who had been head of choir at [Wycombe Abbey](https://www.edgepedia.org/wycombe-abbey); Charlotte Ritchie, an aspiring actress with a bit role in *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*; Laura Wright, at the time the reigning BBC Radio 2 Young Chorister of the Year; and Daisy Chute, who had recorded her own solo jazz LP at 15[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173). Abbott then negotiated a deal with Universal, which reportedly spent in excess of £1 million promoting the debut album[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173). The group signed a five-album deal with Decca in 2006[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/).
None of the four were operatic singers; they came mostly from choral backgrounds, and the group's sound was more choral than operatic, distinguishing it from [Il Divo](https://www.edgepedia.org/il-divo), Blake, and Amici Forever[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/).
## Debut album and chart success
The self-titled debut, released for the [Christmas market](https://www.edgepedia.org/christmas-market) on November 13, 2006, mixed arrangements of popular classical repertoire with soft pop songs. It included Delibes' Flower Duet, Mascagni's Hosanna from *Cavalleria Rusticana*, Schubert's Ave Maria, and Barber's Agnus Dei, alongside pop material such as "The Windmills of Your Mind," Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird," and [Robbie Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/robbie-williams)' "Angels"[3](https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-angels-mw0000459737). The album sold 33,000 copies in its first week and entered the British pop charts at number nine, eclipsing sales benchmarks set by [Luciano Pavarotti](https://www.edgepedia.org/luciano-pavarotti) and Charlotte Church[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173).
On the Official UK Albums Chart it peaked at number 9 on 25 November 2006 and stayed on the chart for 8 weeks, leaving by 13 January 2007[4](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/all-angels-all-angels/). On the Official Classical Artist Albums Chart it peaked at number 2 and ran 81 weeks[4](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/all-angels-all-angels/). The single "Angels" reached number 48 on the Official Singles Chart in the week of 30 December 2006[5](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/all-angels-angels/).
The album was the UK's fastest-selling debut for a classical act, achieved Platinum sales, and earned a Classical Brit Award nomination for Album of the Year at the 2007 ceremony, where the group also performed[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/). The group's first two discs sold half a million copies combined[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/). Competition in the genre was strong that year: the debut competed against chart albums from the Fron Male Voice Choir, Katherine Jenkins, Il Divo, and the similarly styled Angelis[3](https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-angels-mw0000459737).
## Later albums and performances
*Into Paradise* (2007) covered Mozart and Coldplay, and included the Coldplay song "Symphony"[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173) • [2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/). In 2007 the group performed for the Queen at the Festival of Remembrance at the [Royal Albert Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-albert-hall) and made a cameo appearance in the soap opera *Emmerdale*, performing "Songbird"; in 2008 they toured UK cathedrals, played Sandringham, Blenheim Palace, and Gawsworth Hall, and performed the National Anthem at the England vs. USA football match at [Wembley Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/wembley-stadium)[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/).
Their third album, *Fly Away*, released in early 2010, went straight to the top of the Classical charts[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/). It drew mostly on American sources, including [Norah Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/norah-jones) and [Elvis Presley](https://www.edgepedia.org/elvis-presley), and explored folk songs, musicals, modern classics, and spirituals[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173) • [2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/). The fourth release, the EP *Starlight*, was their first as independent artists and was available only via iTunes[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/).
In mid-2010, original member [Laura Wright](https://www.edgepedia.org/laura-wright) left the group and was replaced by the Maltese-trained singer Rachel Fabri, who performed with them at Wembley Stadium for the Champions League Final 2011 and on the *Starlight* EP[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/) • [6](https://crossovermusicmagazine.com/?p=4662). Wright went on to a solo career; Classic FM credits All Angels' debut as the fastest selling classical album of all time and notes that total group album sales reached over a million[7](https://www.classicfm.com/artists/laura-wright/).
## Genre and context
All Angels worked within classical crossover, a genre in which artists adopt strong classical influences while keeping an accessible, popular sound aimed at a mass audience[8](https://www.classical-crossover.co.uk/help/utrophy-faq/142.html). Typical repertoire includes traditional songs, hymns, showtunes, film scores, and light classical pieces, and track lists consist mostly of cover versions[8](https://www.classical-crossover.co.uk/help/utrophy-faq/142.html). During their Universal years All Angels were targeted at the Christmas and [Mother's Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/mothers-day) market, with a safe light-classical sound that their third album broke from[2](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/).
## References
1. [All Angels biography by Jason Ankeny, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/all-angels-mn0000610173)
2. [All Angels Official (archived site, circa 2006–2011)](https://www.allangelsofficial.com/)
3. [All Angels: All Angels, AllMusic album review by Sharon Mawer](https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-angels-mw0000459737)
4. [ALL ANGELS – ALL ANGELS, Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/all-angels-all-angels/)
5. [ANGELS – ALL ANGELS, Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/all-angels-angels/)
6. [Rachel Fabri interview, Crossover Music Magazine](https://crossovermusicmagazine.com/?p=4662)
7. [Laura Wright artist page, Classic FM](https://www.classicfm.com/artists/laura-wright/)
8. [What is Classical Crossover?, Classical-Crossover.co.uk](https://www.classical-crossover.co.uk/help/utrophy-faq/142.html)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Choirs and vocal groups › Classical, church, and cathedral choirs › Girls' and women's choirs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license