“Sometimes,” says Aidan Goldstraw, “it’s all about right time, right people.”

That has certainly been the case for Canti (Italian for “songs” in case you’re not a linguist). It was Aidan’s appointment as Musical Director of St Giles church in Newcastle-under-Lyme that first brought him into contact with award-winning soprano Jane Bryan.

“Some voices just stand out right from the start,” Aidan says. “Jane’s was a classic case-in-point – the moment I heard her sing, I knew I’d found a really gifted fellow musician.”

But the concept for Canti proved a few years in the making.

“I knew it would be great to work with Jane professionally as well as in church, but sopranos for weddings are ten a penny – I wanted to do something a bit different.”

Jane nods in agreement. “What we’re trying to do with Canti is to put a new spin on the classical and traditional material we both grew up with. As our name suggests, it’s all about the songs.”

“I also wanted to bring some of my experience as an arranger to the project,” Aidan adds. “The orchestral-style accompaniments to Jane’s vocals are all played in real time by one person – there are no backing tracks.

“At the end of the day, it’s about honestly showing what we’re capable of and doing it with musical integrity. And for us, Canti ticks those boxes.”