Welsh classical soprano Ellen Williams has released her debut Christmas album, ’A Christmas Wish’.

The album is a collection of much-loved Christmas songs ranging from traditional carols to popular Christmas songs rearranged classically together with one or two less well-known festive gems.

Ellen’s rendition of John Rutter’s I Wish You Christmas is the perfect introduction to the album.

Ellen said: “My love of Christmas music is rooted in traditional carols and choral music and I remember singing songs by John Rutter with choirs I sang with as a child. For me this song and the lyrics really capture the warmth and magic of Christmas”.

The album also includes favourites such as Silent Night, White Christmas and In The Bleak Midwinter, as well as Christmas songs from the movies and duets with international artists, tenors Billy Andrews and John Riesen.

Ellen grew up with music in the family.

Her grandmother was always singing Welsh hymns and folk songs to her and her mother is an international harpist.

Last Christmas, Ellen’s debut single Dancing with the Angels, a new arrangement of beautiful Welsh Lullaby Suo Gân (which featured in Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun), went straight to No 1 in the UK Classical Charts.

Ellen then went on to release an EP of film music titled Cinema, which she showcased with a series of breath-taking music videos featuring some of Wales’ most cinematic landscapes.

Ellen has come a long way since her first Saturday job singing the songs of Wales to tourists in medieval banquets in Cardiff Castle. She has since beenpraised in The Guardian for her "poise and promise, her voice agile with silvery charm" and in The Times as singing "with heart-piercing sweetness".

Ellen was delighted to be asked to sing at the wedding ceremony of Sir Bryn Terfel and has sung to international audiences as well as in many of the UK’s most prestigious concert halls and venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, Bridgewater Hall, the Wales Millennium Centre, under the baton of Sir Karl Jenkins and for HRH The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

Ellen Williams - A Christmas Wish - Tracklisting

- I Wish You Christmas - John Rutter

- Christmas Waltz

- Voice Of An Angel - Liam Lawton

- White Christmas

- In The Bleak Midwinter - Darke

- The Prayer, featuring Billy Andrews

- Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (Somewhere Far Away) - Ryuichi Sakamoto

- Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen

- Ave Maria, Pietas, featuring John Riesen

- Silent Night

- Nadolig, Pwy A Wyr? - Ryan Davies

- O Holy Night

Soprano Ellen Williams features on the album with: tenor Billy Andrews on Track 6; tenor John Riesen on Track 9; Dan Lambert on piano; and, The National Film Orchestra conducted by Chris Craker.

Also working on the album, which was produced by Dan Lambert, Chris Craker & Ellen Williams, was executive producer Chris Craker. All tracks arranged by Dan Lambert. The album was mixed and mastered by Richard Craker at Karma Studios, Thailand.