HAVING showcased their vocal talents on national television and across the West End, four of the finest male operatic voices will be coming to Basingstoke.

Voxx – The Urban Tenors bring together an innovative blend of classical sounds with modern day rock music.

The quartet was created by Michael Storrs and Adam Bayjou, who after working together in various different formats for several years, wanted to explore the possibilities of combining their love of classical music with a dynamic live show.

After several years of planning, the outcome was a mixture of when opera and rock meet with outstanding vocals, harmonies and world class performances.

For Voxx, the challenge is giving audiences a new perspective on what is a rather traditional form of entertainment, and for the four vocalists they wanted to liven things up.

Bayjou tells The Gazette: “The theatrical element in our show mostly comes from our background, and how we are used to performing on stage.

“But we also feel that it keeps the show exciting for the audience, if it helps us stand out from the crowd, then that is certainly a useful by-product.”

With a set list which ranges from Puccini to Michael Jackson, and Josh Groban to Bon Jovi, Voxx have a lot of influences coming into their shows.

Describing how the group comes up with the set list, Bayjou added: “We listen to our favourite songs and try to find a way to make new arrangements for them in a style that could suit us and an audience.

“Music is all about enjoyment, evoking memories and sharing experiences. We hope that the range of songs we perform will resonate with a wider audience.

“A chance for everyone to hear some old favourites and hopefully some new favourites as well.”

Even though Voxx try and stay true to the originals they are singing as best as they can but putting their own spin on the tracks. At times some artistic licence comes into play, especially when transforming modern songs to fit a classical structure.

“Often the biggest problem is that in more modern material there are too many lyrics to fit in to a classical soundscape,” adds the Voxx founding member.

“So in our show when it’s appropriate we change the soundscape to a more classical feeling, or otherwise we try to honour the energy of the original.”

For Bayjou, who was born and raised in Basingstoke, the performance at the Haymarket on February 3, is very much a homecoming show for the singer.

For tickets and more details on the show visit anvilarts.org.uk/whats-on/voxx-the-urban-tenors.