Whether she is singing a national anthem or an aria on Popstar to Operastar, the voice of Katherine Jenkins never loses its moving power. Chris Price caught up with the siren of our times.

It is easy to see why it was such a coup to book Katherine Jenkins for the opening performance of the first ever Music On The Hill festival.

She has had seven No1 albums in the UK classical chart – of which the last five have all entered the pop charts’ top 10.

In full swing as a mentor on ITV show Popstar to Operastar, the multiple Classical Brit Award winner is taking time out of her schedule to perform at the event in aid of Demelza Hospice Care for Children, also being headlined by McFly and Stacey Solomon.

It turns out Katherine – who is engaged to TV presenter Gethin Jones – is looking forward to it as much as Kent is, having performed outdoor summer shows at Bedgebury Pinetum and Port Lympne in recent years.

“I love summer concerts,” said Katherine, who will perform at Kings Hill just a few days before her 31st birthday.

“I love the atmosphere when the audience bring a picnic and a bottle of wine. There is nothing formal about it. You just enjoy the music, which is as it should be.”

Her last album Believe was made with Canadian producer David Foster and is considered Katherine’s most accessible album to date. Stand out tracks include Evanescence’s Bring Me to Life but the Welsh mezzo-soprano insists that her long time fans won’t be disappointed at Music On The Hill.

“We wanted to choose songs we felt would push the boundaries and challenge perceptions of classical music for the last album,” said Katherine.

“I wanted something really dramatic. I loved the original version of Evanescence’s Bring Me to Life but with an orchestra and strings it really works.

“I’ll try to do a selection of my most popular songs in Kent, from Sacred Arias to well known versions of pop songs and music from films. There will be something for everyone. It is classical crossover so there will be lots of kinds of music.”

Although she is the golden girl of British classical music, Katherine has had a taste of what it feels like to have a run-in with the press. Earlier this year she was upset when an ambassador for burns survivors charity the Katie Piper Foundation, herself a burns victim, accused her of not knowing what damage she was causing to people with facial disfigurements by saying in an interview “it’s hard being beautiful”.

Katherine immediately took to Twitter to respond to the comment, made on Channel 4 show Katie: My Beautiful Friends. She tweeted to her: “I was watching Katie: My Beautiful Friends and was distraught to hear u (sic) quote me as saying 'It’s hard being beautiful’.

“It’s really important to me that you know I would never say that. That came from an interview I gave with a foreign journalist.

“He clearly misunderstood and misquoted me. I would never call myself Beautiful. I hope you believe me. Wishing you all the best.”

Katherine is measured when I bring up the subject but answers with the style which made the aforementioned charity ambassador patch things up with her.

“I was just watching the show like everyone else and I knew I didn’t say that,” she said.

“Nothing of the sort came out of my mouth. I just didn’t want that girl to think I said that. I thought it was important especially with everything she has been through. I wanted to set the record straight. I don’t want people to get the wrong impression of me.”

I’m sure they won’t and when Katherine kicks off proceedings at Music On The Hill, onlookers will only be left with only one impression, that she is a real class act.

The clanger of God

In May last year, Katherine performed at the River Plate Stadium at Buenos Aires and came face to face with a rather special Argentinian.

“It was great to meet Diego Maradona,” she recalled.

“We didn’t talk an awful lot but said a few words through a translator. I got a photo and he seems like a nice guy.

“The thing that went a bit wrong was when I took a shirt along for him to sign. Having signed autographs myself, I find it is easier if you take something written down on a piece of paper before.

“So I gave him the shirt and paper and he signed it.

“Then when he walked away I looked at the shirt and it said 'To Katherine and Cheffin.’”

Music On The Hill at Kings Hill, near West Malling, takes place from Friday, June 24 to Sunday, June 26. Katherine Jenkins performs on Friday, Saturday is headlined by McFly and Sunday is a family fun day featuring Stacey Solomon, ABC and Abba tribute act Bjorn Again.