IT'S been four years since Katherine Jenkins last toured the UK - and she's raring to go.

With a new album under her belt, the nation's favourite classical singer cannot wait to take to the stage at the BIC's Windsor Hall on May 9, thank her fans and share her new music.

"It just felt like such a change," she says of her latest recording, Guiding Light.

" I've got married, I've had two children. I felt in a place of being settled and thankful and happy - that was a nice vibe to take to the studio.

"It wasn't about how many high notes I can hit, it was about what was making me emotional, about making an album that touched my heart."

An Evening with Katherine Jenkins isn't just about the music, however.

"The concert is an evening with me, so it's definitely a mixture of songs but also I chat to the audience in between and share some anecdotes and have a bit of banter," she explains.

"I truly appreciate when people spend their hard-earned money to come, I believe in giving them value for money. I also bring a full orchestra and I've got a wonderful special guest - the conductor is Antony Inglis, who has been my maestro from the beginning.

"One moment people can be in tears because of the song, then the next minute we're having a laugh. I can still remember the concerts from ten years ago because of those moments."

Since her last tour, Katherine has been continually performing and taking part in concerts both internationally and around the UK. She says being on the road is the best part of her job, but admits it is harder this time around with a young family to think of.

"I have to always make it work for my family, so I don't do as much international touring. It might be just a week or five days, so that I'm not away from them for very long," she says of two-year-old Aaliyah and Xander, nine months.

"What I try to do with them is I bring them when it's not too distant for them, when it's in a few hours of where we live. They're on stage trying to steal my mic in the rehearsal, they think it's normal. I think that's a special thing.

"I didn't see an orchestra myself until I was in my teens. To be able to share that with them, even if they don't want to sing. It's just so that they have a good relationship with music."

That relationship continues at home, where Katherine admits "we all sing a lot".

"There's a song on the album – Never Enough from The Greatest Showman – I sing that to my daughter every night before she goes to bed.

"She's really into dressing up and performing. I'm not sure that she will be a singer, but she really enjoys coming to my concerts. My son is nine months, he is singing all the time – he has his own little song."

Of course, having two young children means Katherine rarely gets time to relax.

"What is that word with two children?" she laughs.

"I never sit down, I don't get to relax. But I get a lot from spending the quality time with them. They're nuts, but in a good way."

Katherine and her American husband Andrew Levitas – a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, writer, producer, photographer and actor – co-parent their children, meaning one of them is always at home while the other is travelling the country for work.

But she clearly relishes her time closer to home and is full of enthusiasm for her upcoming UK tour.

"It's been four years, that means I'm raring to go and so excited to see everybody," she smiles.

"For me, it's really about just having an evening, having a conversation, sharing my music. I just can't wait to see everybody and thank them for their support over the years."

Katherine Jenkins is at the BIC on Thursday, May 9.

bic.co.uk