She soared to victory singing Sarah Brightman’s ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ and Mariah Carey’s ‘When You Believe’, making them both her own; her voice sounding both pure and wise at the same time. It’s an extraordinary voice. Mary-Jess comes from a long line of singers: her grandmother a semi-professional classical singer and her mother a powerful pop, rock and country singer.
Singing was always Mary-Jess’ dream but feeling she needed to have an interesting alternative, she decided to study Chinese at the age of 12; her school offered it as an extracurricular GCSE.
“French wasn’t my best subject and so I was surprised that I took to Chinese so well. It caught my attention with all the different tones. Each word had its own tune. So in a way, my musical background helped.”
Mary-Jess is 21, has a delicate fresh-faced complexion, wisdom beyond her years, looks gorgeous, speaks Chinese and is happy to demonstrate the different tones of Mandarin on demand, as she did when asked to sing live on BBC Breakfast TV, looking completely undaunted by the sudden storm of media attention. She had been studying Music and Chinese Studies at the University of Sheffield, a four-year course. For the second year, students go to China to study. She went to Nanjing. It was quite a culture shock.
“The idea of spending a year somewhere different and somewhere so far away was daunting. The tutors didn’t speak English to me. Turtles and frogs were on the menus in restaurants. I was living in student accommodation. Two squat toilets and two showers for 40 girls-even when you go out to somewhere swish and modern the toilets are squat with no doors.”
Now as if this wasn’t scary enough, Mary-Jess went on to sing to 70 million people. She saw the competition taking place and immediately wanted to enter. “I went to the studios with a friend who was taking part in another TV show and walked past a studio where there was this guy was singing away to a backing track. It looked like the most exciting opportunity of my life and so I asked how I could get on the show. I was introduced to the producer and had to sing for him on the spot.
Two weeks later they called me but by that time I was really ill with the flu.
“They wanted me to come in straight away but I could hardly speak. I was heart broken. I thought I’d lost my only chance but the next day, at the university, I saw a poster for an open mic night. I thought it wouldn’t matter if I wasn’t very well because it was an opportunity to meet musicians, and I wouldn’t have to go anywhere, but the more I spoke to the organiser, the more I realised it was far more than just an open mic night. Then she said it was on TV! It was the same show I was too ill to do!
“I felt it was like a higher power telling me, ‘you’re doing this.’ So instead of thinking, ‘I can’t be croaky on Chinese TV if its my chance to be noticed’, I thought, ‘this might be the only opportunity to realise my dream, I should do it.’ So I ran to the chemist then went live on Chinese TV and competed with other foreigners for a small prize, one of many little competitions throughout the year. After winning the foreigners competition I was invited back for the bigger X Factor style show that’s held only once a year. The producer for the foreigners competition had said there was no way they were going to let me sing with Chinese contestants, but that’s how it ended up.”
Through various heats Mary-Jess sang a variety of different songs to show the different colours and ranges of her voice, including O mio babbino caro, Stop by Sam Brown and Yue Guang Ai Ren. The show goes on over two and a half weeks and you have to sing live on Chinese TV every night.
“There were no mentors, no singing teachers, you were on your own but for the Chinese stylist who always wanted to curl my hair and make me look a bit whiter. Chinese people love white skin and see the West as exotic. Maybe that worked for me, although, I really thought they would want a Chinese person to win, but they voted for me. I couldn’t believe it.” Mary-Jess doesn’t take anything for granted. She did not grow up with a sense of entitlement. Yet she does have incredible determination and a core of self-esteem. She comes from a background where the women in her family are strong and super capable. Her mother, as well as singing all styles of music in cover bands, is a seamstress and leather worker; probably the only person in the world who has made a ball gown and a couch in the same day.
“My grandmother was a florist and a hairdresser as well as a singer because she always believed in having more than one string to your bow, which is why I worked hard at Chinese; with the current economic climate I thought it would be a good business option. She passed away when I was 13 but she was a remarkable woman. She was only in her early fifties and it was her third bout of cancer. Her twin sister had it first, and then she got it. They both recovered, and then her twin got it again and passed away. By the third time she had cancer, it had affected her throat so badly she couldn’t sing any more so she started to learn the viola because she wanted still to play a musical instrument.”
It was her grandmother who got her singing started with typical determination and flare.
“She got me an audition with the Gloucester Cathedral Youth Choir. They were looking for youths aged eleven and above but I was nine. She said she wanted me to have the experience of the audition and not to worry if I didn’t get in. But they wanted me! I think I’ve inherited my grandmother’s determination, the idea that you should be extremely positive and not let anything stop you”.
“I have a treble clef necklace, which reminds me of my grandmother and all the things we might have been doing together.” That’s why Mary-Jess’ voice seems to reach so high, as if it’s trying to touch her. The songs on the album are all a swirl of emotions. They seem familiar, catchy, yet at the same time exotic and beautiful.
“We recorded some native Chinese instruments in Beijing; a Chinese flute, a Mongolian horse-hair fiddle which is played like a cello but has a similar timbre to the viola, and a Chinese harp. You pluck the string and push it down to bend the note. We employed native players, they all sound brilliant. We also recorded some great Chinese war drums to make it more filmic and epic. When coupled with the Western instruments they are like spice in food, adding their own flair whilst bringing out the other flavours.”
After winning the competition Mary-Jess decided not to go back to her studies at the Chinese university but went back just to collect her belongings with her boyfriend, who is a world class rollerblader, and has been one out of only ten inline vert rollerbladers in the world to be invited to compete at the Asian X games.
They first met at Silverstone race track when he was doing a demo for Team Extreme and she was working at an after school job in a rock climbing centre. “They had a mobile climbing wall. I remember thinking I wasn’t going to go that day because of other commitments and Rich wasn’t going either, but somehow we both ended up there.” Once again she felt a higher force governing her destiny. She was used to a long distance relationship when she moved to China because she lived in Gloucester, then Sheffield and he lived in Glastonbury and trained in Birmingham. “Our past made it easier to get used to the separation in China because our relationship had always been long distance.” Feeling homesick or lovesick was not the reason she didn’t complete her course in China. “I never suspected the huge media storm that would happen after I won the competition. It was a whirlwind. I know people use that expression but I don’t think you really know what it is until you’ve experienced it.” She felt that force of nature sweeping her towards her dream.
“I never wanted anything my whole life but to be a recording artist. The only reason I took Chinese was because the music business is fickle and I wanted a plan B. But, incredibly, my plan B lead to my plan A.”
Glorious
Mary-Jess Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for the joyous return,
Waiting for the coming of day break,
So close your eyes, and pray theyll be alright,
So close your eyes, soon,
You will wake up glorious,
Glorious, glorious, glorious,
Looking up in the sky,
Can you hear this promise tonight,
I will wait forever for day break,
You will wake up glorious,
Glorious, glorious, glorious,
[Break]
Glorious, glorious, glorious,
[Repeat]
Over time, time will heal the heart ache,
Can you hear this promise tonight,
I could wait forever for day break.
The lyrics of Mary-Jess's song "Glorious" speak of heartache and longing, but also of hope and perseverance. The singer acknowledges that time is needed to heal the pain of a broken heart, but also looks forward to the day when joy will return. This idea is reinforced by the repeated refrain of "you will wake up glorious," which suggests that even though things may seem bleak now, they will eventually get better.
The second verse speaks of looking up in the sky and seeing stars shining, and hearing a promise that the singer will wait forever for day break. This could be interpreted in a number of ways - perhaps the stars represent hope and guidance, or the promise is a vow to wait for a loved one to return. The overall message of the song seems to be one of optimism and resilience in the face of hardship.
One interesting aspect of the song is that it was inspired by a trip that Mary-Jess took to China, where she became fascinated with the traditional music and culture. Another fun fact is that the song was featured in a Chinese TV show called "The Dream of China," which helped to bring it to a wider audience. "Glorious" was also the title track of Mary-Jess's second album, which was released in 2013. In addition, the song has been used in various commercials and promotional videos for tourism in China. Overall, "Glorious" is a beautiful and uplifting song that speaks to the universal human experience of coping with heartache and adversity.
Chords:
Verse: Em, C, G, D
Chorus: G, D, Em, C
Bridge: C, G, D, Em
Line by Line Meaning
Over time, time will heal the heart ache,
As time goes by, the pain of heartbreak will lessen and fade away.
Waiting for the joyous return,
Hoping and waiting for a happy reunion or homecoming.
Waiting for the coming of day break,
Anticipating the arrival of a new and better day, full of hope and possibilities.
So close your eyes, and pray theyll be alright,
Closing your eyes and offering a prayer for the safety and wellbeing of someone you care about.
So close your eyes, soon,
Encouraging someone to relax and have faith that things will get better soon.
You will wake up glorious,
Assuring someone that they will experience a wonderful and triumphant awakening.
Glorious, glorious, glorious,
Emphasizing the amazing and uplifting nature of the upcoming experience.
Looking up in the sky,
Drawing attention to the majestic and awe-inspiring beauty of the sky above.
Are your stars shining like mine,
Wondering if someone else is having a similar experience of seeing the stars shining brightly in the sky.
Can you hear this promise tonight,
Asking if someone can understand and believe in the promise of a better tomorrow.
I will wait forever for day break,
Committing to patiently and faithfully waiting for a brighter and more hopeful future.
[Break]
A brief pause in the music or lyrics.
Glorious, glorious, glorious,
Repeating the powerful and uplifting message of the song.
[Repeat]
Repeating the chorus or primary message of the song.
Can you hear this promise tonight,
Asking again if someone can hear and believe in the promise of hope and renewal.
I could wait forever for day break.
Underscoring the unwavering faith and commitment to waiting for a better future.
Writer(s): Chris Eaton Copyright: West Lodge Music (Us), Here'S To Jo Music, Here'S To Jo Music (BMI), West Lodge Music
Contributed by Ethan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.