ARTSNIGHT - CHARLOTTE CHURCH (BBC2, 11.35pm)

THERE was a time when some people might have been taken aback to see Charlotte Church hosting her own edition of a late-night BBC2 arts documentary strand, rather than a raucous Channel 4 chat show.

However, that was before the singer made a habit of cropping up in unlikely places – such as Question Time, anti-austerity protests and the indie festival All Tomorrow’s Parties, where many attendees felt she stole the show from the hipper acts.

So, perhaps we should see Artsnight – Charlotte Church as the latest development in a long and surprising career.

The Welsh soprano received one of her earliest breaks in 1997 when, still aged just 11, she sang Pie Jesu on The Big Big Talent Show – she was actually there to introduce her aunt, but it was her performance that captured the viewers’ (and record companies’) attention.

Her debut album, Voice of an Angel, was released the following year, and Church soon became a n international star, as well as the youngest person to ever top the British classical charts.

Yet despite her early fame and success, she seemed determined to live as normal a life as possible – much to the delight of the Press, which enjoyed playing up the contrast between her angelic image and her teenage nights out.

Luckily, Church didn’t fall into the ‘troubled former child star’ trap, branching out into TV presenting and pop music instead. She’s also become increasingly politically outspoken, something she credits to her involvement with the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking.

And as someone who is used to making the most of her voice – in all senses – it seems fitting that her edition of Artsnight focuses on the power and pleasure of singing. Church believes it’s a fundamental aspect of human culture that some sections of Western society are in danger of losing touch with.

On the eve of the launch of the Festival of the Voice, a new international music festival in Cardiff, she’ll be meeting some of the performers who are pushing the boundaries of what the human voice can do, as well as using singing as a tool for social cohesion and self-expression.

She talks to musicians including Laura Mvula, Meilyr Jones, Gwenno and 9Bach, and also learns more on a new musical project on dementia choirs from the National Theatre of Wales.

In addition, Church explains why she believes the festival is a reflection of the creative and diverse city she calls her home.

Her commitment to the Festival of the Voice doesn’t end with this programme. The event will also be hosting the debut of The Last Mermaid, her new project, which updates Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid – and touches on some of the themes featured in Artsnight.