Nokia

“That’s the party piece on the album! Every tenor you can think of has sung that and everyone knows that song. The words and the melodies are so beautiful,” says Mark. “I can’t wait to perform it; I love hitting – and holding - that high note, just as the amazing Luciano Pavarotti used to do.”

“Choosing the right woman to be with is very hard,” laughs Mark, “And this song is all about being with the right person. Every time I sing it, it reminds me on my nonna. I’ve put the English lyrics in the chorus, “Mamma mia, what am I to do?” and the audience love it. It’s a good upbeat, fun song.”

“This is my favourite song. It’s one of the most dramatic songs and I’d always sing it when I was starting out. It transports you to another place” says Mark of the hauntingly beautiful Italian tune, which tells of an undying, transcontinental love. A line in the song is ‘Ti voglio bene assai’ which means ‘I love you so much’, and you don’t see such powerful songs like this anymore. It’s one of the classics.”

Another Neapolitan song, it talks of the picturesque waterfront district of Borgo Santa Lucia in the Bay of Naples, and reminds Mark of every Italian festival by the sea celebrated in Australia. “I hear this, and I think of Italian people and their love of the ocean. It’s such a beautiful song,” he says. “And I always imagine being on a boat in Naples.”

“This is from the movie The Toast of New Orleans, and is sung by Mario Lanza. It speaks of new love and how nothing else matters, except their eternal love together. Mario Lanza inspires me as he had the whole package: the looks, the voice, the expression, everything. He was a showman.”

This song title translates to “woman is fickle” and is from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto. A favourite of many tenors, it has been recorded by Pavarotti, Lanza, Caruso… and now Mark Vincent. “This song – and I am just repeating the lyrics, of course,”

This one is another show tune, from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.” I heard Anthony Warlow perform this piece and it’s truly amazing. It’s another love song, the music is beautiful, and it has such a great ending to it. It’s about wanting to tell a girl how you feel about her, but not having the guts to.”

The popular Neapolitan classic – which translates to ‘Return to Sorrento’ – has been sung by artists as varied as Mario Lanza (one of Mark’s idol) and Meat Loaf, and was translated to English then re-written entirely for Elvis Presley as “Surrender”. For Mark, it represents an understanding of the emotions felt by those who migrated to another land, especially his own grandparents. “My nonna cries every time she hears it. It reminds her of the motherland, and those words connect me to my family.”

This song, composed by the legendary Leoncavallo, and whose title translates to ‘Morning Song,’ is an ode from a lover to his beloved and it inspires Mark to be in love like that some day. “The reason I like this song is because it has a violin solo in there, which is beautiful. Plus, it’s the first song I ever learned. And the lyrics are truly amazing, and it’s enjoyable to perform.”

The show tune from the Rodgers and Hart musical ‘Spring is Here’. “I heard Jose Carreras perform during the Three Tenors act, and once I heard it I wanted it on the album. It’s a love song and it’s about how much a man is in love with this particular girl. I imagine being a Romeo to someone’s Juliet one day.”

Because was a hit for Perry Como in 1948, and thanks to Mark, still stands the test of time. “I heard that song in the movie ‘The Great Caruso’, and being a performer, you always try and look for a story. This one is about Caruso dedicating a song to his daughter, so that how ever far he is, when she hears this, she will think of him and he will always be close. It brings a tear to your eye.”