“Escala”; Escala; SYCO

This classical crossover four-piece group formerly known as Scala reached the height of popularity after making waves in the 2008 edition of “Britain's Got Talent.” Escala is composed of Victoria Lyon and Izzy Johnston on violins, Chantal Leverton on viola and Tasya Hodges on cello.

Their self-titled debut album was recorded with iconic Grammy Award-winning producer Trevor Horn (whose credits include Seal, Cher, Pet Shop Boys, Paul McCartney, Charlotte Church and Mike Oldfield, among many others) at the helm.

Escala combines classical compositions with affable pop songs, submitting eclectic music that crosses over from Barber’s "Adagio for Strings," Handel’s "Sarabande" to Wings’ "Live & Let Die" and Robert Miles’s "Children".

More surprising are the inclusions of Rob Dougan’s "Clubbed To Death," Led Zeppelin’s "Kashmir" (with former Guns n Roses lead guitarist Slash on guitars) and Craig Armstrong’s evocative "Finding Beauty."

The scope that Escala covered in this album is notable. Like their seniors (e.g., Bond), they build on an atmosphere of enduring sophistication.

“Passione”; Paul Potts; SYCO

This album recreates into new arias, such pop hits as Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale," composer Ewan McColl’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” Nina Rota's "A Time For Us" (featured in '68's Franco Zeffirelli-directed Romeo & Juliet), and even Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Memory." 

An interesting adaptation is his collaboration with 22-year-old Hayley Westerna on the remake of the Josh Groban/Sarah Brightman duet, "There for Me." His self-assured voice, Westerna's warmhearted set-up and vocal ripostes, the flawless merger of their harmony lines, coupled with the song's translation into Italian, gives the version an expressive allure.

However, as effective as these pop renovations are, tracks such as "Tristesse" and "E Lucevan Le Stelle" show that a straightforward arias album – in spite of Potts’ insistence that it may be too formulaic – could be a smart career move in the future since he has the vocal pipes to pull it off.

“Rhydian”; Rhydian; SYCO

This debut album of Rhydian Roberts, runner-up in “X Factor 2007,” is not of the serious yet grandiloquent interpretations of tracks like Pink's "Get the Party Started" and the Pet Shop Boys' "Go West" (do yourselves a great favor and look for them in YouTube) – a big part of his success, undeniably – but of more conventional song choices.

Still, there are here, glimpses of his attention-grabbing foray in that reality show. Two of these are his subdued remake of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and the spotless vocal platform, "Somewhere," from “West Side Story.”

Those, plus the remakes of popular standard, "The Impossible Dream" and straightforward (or pointless?) versions of known pop-opera veterans Meatloaf and Queen ("Not a Dry Eye in the House" and "Who Wants to Live Forever," respectively).

Though Rhydian’s vocals are offered a satisfactory workout here, the personality that endeared him to his hometown fans don't quite manifest in this outing.