ALTHOUGH Blake is renowned for that feel good factor on stage, I can confirm that chatting to Ollie Baines, one of the classical vocal trio is an absolute tonic too.

He’s fun, friendly, down to earth and incredibly up beat about life. He certainly shows no sign of taking any of it for granted either - even though he’s been singing since he was eight and performing with Blake for ten years.

Ollie was a chorister at both New College, Oxford and Winchester Cathedral. He was also a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and learned the French horn and trumpet. He is also a keen pianist.

Ollie, a tenor, says of touring: “I’ve been incredibly lucky to have seen so much of the world, and at such a young age. Before I was even at university I’d toured throughout Europe, Australia, America and Africa with various choirs, and Blake has taken me further still.”

Ollie is also a keen sailor, skier and horseman. He has survived both a light plane crash and being held hostage in an armed bank robbery. He grew up in the Wiltshire countryside with a plethora of pets, including five dogs.

“I am one of those lucky people who genuinely like being up there on stage, singing my heart out. For me that’s what it’s all about. And it’s essential to enjoy yourself, because that way, the audience tend to enjoy themselves as well.”

The British harmony group is now back with a brand-new tour which includes two dates in Dorset featuring the finest songs from stage and screen.

Linked together with the boys’ much-loved improvised banter, the show features music from Hanz Zimmer, Ennio Morricone, Leonard Bernstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Leonard Cohen and The Beach Boys.

The tour follows appearances alongside the legendary Dame Shirley Bassey, with whom they released a Christmas single last December. The single featured on their festive album ‘A Classic Christmas’ in aid of children’s charities Variety and Noah’s Ark Hospice.

The members of Blake all found their love of music at a young age and sang with various groups and choirs throughout their childhood.

Blake has had several number ones, multi-platinum selling albums and over 150 TV appearances, as well as having won a Brit Award for Album of the Year. Famous fans include Keira Knightley, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Will Smith. The trio tour constantly and take part in a vast amount of charity work, from performing for the Queen and Prince Harry at the Festival of Remembrance and the launch of the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Challenge, to working with the ‘Sing to Beat Breast Cancer’ Choir. Other charities they have supported include Help For Heroes, The British Legion and MIND. They have fans worldwide, which has sent them on tours to the Philippines, South Korea, Barbados, Russia, and even at the White House in the US.

Choirs who would like the chance to join Blake on stage should send a YouTube video link of themselves performing to info@BlakeOfficial.com accompanied by a short description of their group. One choir will be chosen for each concert to join the group on stage.

Ollie sounds in particularly high spirits when we speak on the phone. He’s chuckling about an interview he had just given to a newspaper in Somerset.

“Forgive me if I sound a little bizarre and excited,” he laughs. “I’d just put the washing on and then I’m being asked all these deep questions like, ‘what does music to mean to you’ and we ended up going off in weird tangents talking about badgers and Blake 7 - it was all rather surreal!”

One of the keys to keeping their act fresh, Ollie explains, is by inviting school and community choirs to take part in their live shows.

“We thought it would be a great experience for both them and us. It’s a lovely way of involving the local community and it’s also very important to keep things different for us too. It is so much nicer to fill a stage with a choir rather than with your own ego!”

Ollie says has no ambitions of being a soloist.

“It is a bit of a lonely life and you’ve constantly got to be on your game. That’s the lovely part of being part of a group. You can support each other- even vocally if you’re feeling under the weather which is why we have never cancelled a concert in ten years.

“And yes we do get on - we’re more like a family than colleagues. Sorry to sound so boring but that’s probably why we’ve lasted ten years!”

Ollie adds: “I’m much more appreciative of my lot now and all the things we have achieved.”

Blake is performing at the Tivoli in Wimborne on May 4 and the Lighthouse in Poole on October 28.