Post by drew on Mar 7, 2007 9:11:12 GMT
Angel's taking flight
By Rebecca Lawrence
As Melanie Nakhla runs up the Bear Steps in Shrewsbury to meet me, with her long hair blowing in the wind, she is framed for a second in the archway.
One of five musical siblings, Melanie started playing the violin at
the age of seven.
For a moment she looks like a star. But that's not so surprising because if she isn't one already, then she is well on the way to stardom.
But as soon as she speaks, she is just your average teenager exclaiming about the weather and her umbrella which has turned inside out in the wind.
She has come back from her exclusive boarding school, Wycombe Abbey, to the family home in Swan Hill where her siblings - three sisters and a brother - congregate every weekend.
The family is based in London during the week but every Friday night they all make their way back to Shropshire.
As she poses in front of the camera, Melanie barely notices the glances of admiration and curiosity from passers-by, wondering who this beautiful girl is.
But just nine months ago, Melanie was enjoying life as a sixth-former and dreams of stardom were just that.
Then she found out in June she had made it into a classical girls group, called All Angels, with new best friends Charlotte Ritchie, 17, Laura Wright, 16, and Daisy Chute, 17.
She has since performed at the House of Commons, and appeared at the Royal Albert Hall Remembrance Service - and even on TV show Ready Steady Cook.
Although the girls didn't make it to number one at Christmas with their cover version of Robbie Williams's classic Angels, their album quickly became platinum-selling.
But Melanie has not let it go to her head and she still tries to come home as often as possible.
"It's nice to come back and see my family and catch up with friends from my old school, Shrewsbury High," she says, before suddenly shouting out "Hello!" as a car drives past and a kindly man tells her she'll catch her death out here.
She laughs and then explains: "Oh, that's my uncle. Shrewsbury is such a small town and you just know everyone."
Melanie is something of a musical prodigy, along with her brother and sisters. As she talks of their younger days, she creates a picture of a close family singing together at an evening by the fire.
All Angels: Charlotte Ritchie, Melanie Nakhla, Laura Wright and Daisy Chute.
She started playing the violin when she was seven and passed her grade-five exam aged just 10, which she calls "quite an achievement for me."
But she only started taking singing seriously two years ago. Sister Laura, 19, is studying music at King's College, London, on a choral scholarship, and wants to become an opera singer.
When they were younger, the girls were part of the Shrewsbury Children's Choir.
Melanie's face lights up as she recalls singing at Shrewsbury's Carols in the Square, where her old choir also performed.
"It was so nice that they were there too," she laughs. "It was something I did every Saturday, so that was my hobby with my elder sister Laura. I'm head of the school choir now and I really enjoy taking part in concerts at school.
"Two years ago, we went on a choir trip to Italy, which was amazing, but sadly I cannot go this year to Prague as there's lots of stuff going on with All Angels.
"It's really strange to think about how much has happened since I started singing," she says.
Next in line in the Nakhla family is 14-year-old Isabelle, who plays the piano and violin. Paul is the only boy and studies at Westminster Cathedral Choir School, and seven-year-old Christina is also learning the piano.
But the family are fully integrated into the world of Shrewsbury. Melanie says Christina loves to go to the Gateway Education and Arts Centre on Saturdays and enjoys making crafts. She has just sewed a little pillow and made a garage for her toy cars.
A typical weekend for Melanie involves visiting her favourite places. She can be found at Bellini's restaurant on Milk Street, owned by her old French teacher from Prestfelde Junior School, on a Saturday morning.
All Angels pictured performing in Shrewsbury's Square before Christmas.
"I love the ice-cream there," she says. "It's freshly made on the premises. I like to catch up with the owner and he makes sure I'm studying my French hard!"
She also likes to visit Owen's Cafe Bar and calls it a "really nice place to hang out," and loves to visit her aunt's shop Katulia - a clear sign the family really are rooted in Shrewsbury.
"It's my cousins' names combined," she explains, "It's a boutique and I love going to try the jewellery on."
At the moment, the four girls are busy recording four new tracks for their album to replace the Christmas songs, which will be released in time for Mother's Day.
This involves having a new album cover and lots of photos, which means Melanie gets to try on lots of new clothes.
"It's great. Before, we wore either all black or all white but this time we are in lots of different colours. I get to wear this gorgeous blue satin dress," she giggles.
But this isn't quite Melanie's reality at the moment. She is currently studying for her A-levels in French, Spanish and Economics after achieving 'B' grades in AS-levels in Physics and Critical Thinking.
Her mind clearly keeps going back to study and her impending appointment with a private economics tutor - the result of taking so much time out of school for the band.
"I looked at the Economics paper and I didn't recognise anything!" she exclaims. "All Angels took up more of my time than I thought. There was a big push towards Christmas and I do get worried that I'm missing my lessons."
Studying is her least favourite thing. "Sometimes I find it hard to concentrate on my work. I think: I've just been singing at the Royal Albert Hall and now I have to do Spanish prep.
"I've never been known for working hard and I'm not an 'A' student," she admits, slightly sheepishly.
But physics is a topic Melanie has put to practical use. She was chosen, after a series of difficult interviews, for a sixth-form flying scholarship and now has had 15 hours of free flying.
Feet firmly on the ground: "Doing something like this opens so many doors."
It was her Egyptian father who introduced her to it, as he enjoys gliding over the Long Mynd.
"The scholarship was announced in assembly on the same day it was announced I was head of choir," she remembers. All in an ordinary day for Melanie!
She laughs when I ask how she fits all these activities in and then goes on to tell me she was also in the netball, lacrosse and tennis teams at school and had the lead role in the school play.
But since being in All Angels she has had to give up lacrosse, which she is very sad about.
"Matches are on Saturday afternoons so I'd feel awful if something was up with All Angels and I did not play and had to let my team mates down," she says.
Then she goes on to talk about the German play she starred in, called The Visit.
"I played a really old woman and I got to wear a big fur coat and gold glittering glasses. I just enjoyed it for the costumes really!"
As we take a seat in Owen's I notice the waitress has forgotten to give Melanie any milk with her tea - but it turns out she doesn't like it.
"All my friends think I'm really weird. I think it takes away the taste of the tea," she laughs.
Melanie is still so young and has so many dreams: a pilot, a singer, a foreign office diplomat . . ..
"I'm planning on taking a gap year and making All Angels my priority. This summer, we hope to record another album," she says.
But she's not pinning all her hopes on the band.
"Then I'll see how it goes from there. I'm just enjoying it at the moment and it's something I will never forget for the rest of my life.
"My ideal job?" she wonders. "I have not found a name for it but something that involves a lot of travelling, maybe flying myself. Maybe something with the foreign office so I can use my languages and economics. Maybe they could fly me in a company jet!
"I will start out with this group but doing something like this opens so many doors and you meet so many people along the way."
Melanie's whole life is ahead of her, with many paths to go down, so she'll probably be able to take any high-flying route she likes.
But when I leave her just outside Owen's, she is just an ordinary girl shopping in Shrewsbury on a Saturday.
She smiles shyly, with her hands in her pockets, and just as I say goodbye a group of girls shout out and she disappears laughing into Shrewsbury's busy High Street.
www.shropshiremagazine.com/people/publish/article_15858.php
By Rebecca Lawrence
As Melanie Nakhla runs up the Bear Steps in Shrewsbury to meet me, with her long hair blowing in the wind, she is framed for a second in the archway.
One of five musical siblings, Melanie started playing the violin at
the age of seven.
For a moment she looks like a star. But that's not so surprising because if she isn't one already, then she is well on the way to stardom.
But as soon as she speaks, she is just your average teenager exclaiming about the weather and her umbrella which has turned inside out in the wind.
She has come back from her exclusive boarding school, Wycombe Abbey, to the family home in Swan Hill where her siblings - three sisters and a brother - congregate every weekend.
The family is based in London during the week but every Friday night they all make their way back to Shropshire.
As she poses in front of the camera, Melanie barely notices the glances of admiration and curiosity from passers-by, wondering who this beautiful girl is.
But just nine months ago, Melanie was enjoying life as a sixth-former and dreams of stardom were just that.
Then she found out in June she had made it into a classical girls group, called All Angels, with new best friends Charlotte Ritchie, 17, Laura Wright, 16, and Daisy Chute, 17.
She has since performed at the House of Commons, and appeared at the Royal Albert Hall Remembrance Service - and even on TV show Ready Steady Cook.
Although the girls didn't make it to number one at Christmas with their cover version of Robbie Williams's classic Angels, their album quickly became platinum-selling.
But Melanie has not let it go to her head and she still tries to come home as often as possible.
"It's nice to come back and see my family and catch up with friends from my old school, Shrewsbury High," she says, before suddenly shouting out "Hello!" as a car drives past and a kindly man tells her she'll catch her death out here.
She laughs and then explains: "Oh, that's my uncle. Shrewsbury is such a small town and you just know everyone."
Melanie is something of a musical prodigy, along with her brother and sisters. As she talks of their younger days, she creates a picture of a close family singing together at an evening by the fire.
All Angels: Charlotte Ritchie, Melanie Nakhla, Laura Wright and Daisy Chute.
She started playing the violin when she was seven and passed her grade-five exam aged just 10, which she calls "quite an achievement for me."
But she only started taking singing seriously two years ago. Sister Laura, 19, is studying music at King's College, London, on a choral scholarship, and wants to become an opera singer.
When they were younger, the girls were part of the Shrewsbury Children's Choir.
Melanie's face lights up as she recalls singing at Shrewsbury's Carols in the Square, where her old choir also performed.
"It was so nice that they were there too," she laughs. "It was something I did every Saturday, so that was my hobby with my elder sister Laura. I'm head of the school choir now and I really enjoy taking part in concerts at school.
"Two years ago, we went on a choir trip to Italy, which was amazing, but sadly I cannot go this year to Prague as there's lots of stuff going on with All Angels.
"It's really strange to think about how much has happened since I started singing," she says.
Next in line in the Nakhla family is 14-year-old Isabelle, who plays the piano and violin. Paul is the only boy and studies at Westminster Cathedral Choir School, and seven-year-old Christina is also learning the piano.
But the family are fully integrated into the world of Shrewsbury. Melanie says Christina loves to go to the Gateway Education and Arts Centre on Saturdays and enjoys making crafts. She has just sewed a little pillow and made a garage for her toy cars.
A typical weekend for Melanie involves visiting her favourite places. She can be found at Bellini's restaurant on Milk Street, owned by her old French teacher from Prestfelde Junior School, on a Saturday morning.
All Angels pictured performing in Shrewsbury's Square before Christmas.
"I love the ice-cream there," she says. "It's freshly made on the premises. I like to catch up with the owner and he makes sure I'm studying my French hard!"
She also likes to visit Owen's Cafe Bar and calls it a "really nice place to hang out," and loves to visit her aunt's shop Katulia - a clear sign the family really are rooted in Shrewsbury.
"It's my cousins' names combined," she explains, "It's a boutique and I love going to try the jewellery on."
At the moment, the four girls are busy recording four new tracks for their album to replace the Christmas songs, which will be released in time for Mother's Day.
This involves having a new album cover and lots of photos, which means Melanie gets to try on lots of new clothes.
"It's great. Before, we wore either all black or all white but this time we are in lots of different colours. I get to wear this gorgeous blue satin dress," she giggles.
But this isn't quite Melanie's reality at the moment. She is currently studying for her A-levels in French, Spanish and Economics after achieving 'B' grades in AS-levels in Physics and Critical Thinking.
Her mind clearly keeps going back to study and her impending appointment with a private economics tutor - the result of taking so much time out of school for the band.
"I looked at the Economics paper and I didn't recognise anything!" she exclaims. "All Angels took up more of my time than I thought. There was a big push towards Christmas and I do get worried that I'm missing my lessons."
Studying is her least favourite thing. "Sometimes I find it hard to concentrate on my work. I think: I've just been singing at the Royal Albert Hall and now I have to do Spanish prep.
"I've never been known for working hard and I'm not an 'A' student," she admits, slightly sheepishly.
But physics is a topic Melanie has put to practical use. She was chosen, after a series of difficult interviews, for a sixth-form flying scholarship and now has had 15 hours of free flying.
Feet firmly on the ground: "Doing something like this opens so many doors."
It was her Egyptian father who introduced her to it, as he enjoys gliding over the Long Mynd.
"The scholarship was announced in assembly on the same day it was announced I was head of choir," she remembers. All in an ordinary day for Melanie!
She laughs when I ask how she fits all these activities in and then goes on to tell me she was also in the netball, lacrosse and tennis teams at school and had the lead role in the school play.
But since being in All Angels she has had to give up lacrosse, which she is very sad about.
"Matches are on Saturday afternoons so I'd feel awful if something was up with All Angels and I did not play and had to let my team mates down," she says.
Then she goes on to talk about the German play she starred in, called The Visit.
"I played a really old woman and I got to wear a big fur coat and gold glittering glasses. I just enjoyed it for the costumes really!"
As we take a seat in Owen's I notice the waitress has forgotten to give Melanie any milk with her tea - but it turns out she doesn't like it.
"All my friends think I'm really weird. I think it takes away the taste of the tea," she laughs.
Melanie is still so young and has so many dreams: a pilot, a singer, a foreign office diplomat . . ..
"I'm planning on taking a gap year and making All Angels my priority. This summer, we hope to record another album," she says.
But she's not pinning all her hopes on the band.
"Then I'll see how it goes from there. I'm just enjoying it at the moment and it's something I will never forget for the rest of my life.
"My ideal job?" she wonders. "I have not found a name for it but something that involves a lot of travelling, maybe flying myself. Maybe something with the foreign office so I can use my languages and economics. Maybe they could fly me in a company jet!
"I will start out with this group but doing something like this opens so many doors and you meet so many people along the way."
Melanie's whole life is ahead of her, with many paths to go down, so she'll probably be able to take any high-flying route she likes.
But when I leave her just outside Owen's, she is just an ordinary girl shopping in Shrewsbury on a Saturday.
She smiles shyly, with her hands in her pockets, and just as I say goodbye a group of girls shout out and she disappears laughing into Shrewsbury's busy High Street.
www.shropshiremagazine.com/people/publish/article_15858.php
). 
