Five years ago Suffolk Soprano Christina Johnson was singing for the Chinese president and his government as they marked the end of World War Two.

On Friday, Christina will be performing from her studio in Old Felixstowe, live streaming a special VE Day concert across the world, which means a lot to her personally.

Classical Brit award nominee and world class performer Christina will be moving away from her usual opera menu and singing 1940s classics in her 'Goodnight Sweetheart' VE Day 75 special.

These will include

We'll Meet Again

Goodnight Sweetheart

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square

Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye

As Time goes by

Land of Hope and Glory

Don't sit under the Apple tree.

Requests can be made on the live message board Christina Johnson Goodnight Sweetheart

Christina revealed: "VE Day means a lot to me because both my grandparents and great grandparents were in the war, one was based in Italy and the other was a Commodore in the Navy and based in Barbados.

"I have been chosen to be the voice and Ambassador for Purple Poppy Appeal for the animals of the war so I will be singing their song on Friday too."

The former Framlingham girl, who grew up with Ed Sheeran, moved back to Suffolk a year ago, but not before being a guest on José Carreras' Farewell Tour.

She has converted an outbuilding at her Old Felixstowe home into a studio with sound engineer Richard from Sound4ProAudio.

"It has been wonderful moving back to Suffolk and settling in Old Felixstowe, said Christina. "I have never been more proud to be part of such a wonderful community.

"When COVID-19 began I lost all my work until after September so was very frightened about how we could survive financially.

"Like most musicians I live from month to month so was really worried. But I decided to not feel sorry for myself but adapt to the situation."

The pair teamed up after Christina saw a social media post from a Felixstowe Nursing home looking for some outside entertainment.

That performance led to them being fully booked with nursing homes but .

the country went into lockdown so it became impossible for us to travel to the nursing homes around the county.

A brainstorming session led to them fitting out the studio making it as professional as possible with staging, lighting and all the cameras and sound equipment to do a live streaming concert, while observing social distancing.

Christina added: "I have never sung without an audience so first time was very strange.

"We set up a GoFund me page in case anyone felt like giving us a donation to go towards our hard work and ultimately our bills and put food on the table."

Classical performer

Performing Disney numbers is set to be the fourth live streamed concert and Christina is enjoying the new challenger.

She said: "It's a lot of work but if it brings people joy then that makes it all the more worth while.

"I have been interacting with the people watching Live too through their comments. It's nice and relaxed as usually I don't talk to my audience, someone introduces me, I come on, sing with the orchestra and walk off. So here it has given me a chance to be myself and just have a chat with the people watching.

We have had people watching from Beirut, Prague, Rome, France, Japan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio (we had a 101 year old called Mary!) Germany, Denmark. It's just amazing to be able to perform to people all over not just in one concert hall."

Christina earned a scholarship to study classical singing and opera at The Guildhall of Music in Drama when she was 17. In 2012 she made her operatic debut at Prague's State Opera as Queen of Night in Mozart's Magic Flute and Adele in Strauss's Die Fledermaus.

Since then she has performed at Kazan Opera House, Russia as Olympia from Les Contes D'Hoffmann by Offenbach, sung on tour in Germany as The Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, premiered in the production of Puccini's Tosca conducted by Walter Attanasi and as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni at The Estates Theatre in Prague and also sung the role of Olympia from Les Contes D'Hoffmann by Offenbach on tour in Germany and Austria.

Christina has sung in opera houses across Europe, Asia and South America. and was a regular singer for the president of the Czech Republic and various other European presidents. In 2015 she was invited by Chinese President XI to sing in China for the end of World War Two celebrations.

Since then her debut album "Blessing" was released earning her a nomination for a Classical Brit award in 2018 in the Sound of Classical Poll for under 30s.

This month alone Christina was supposed to perform at Snape Maltings, a few London Charity evenings and preparing to record a new album but she has managed to release a song with fellow musicians called [L]https://music.apple.com/gb/album/applaudnhs-feat-christina-johnston/1506832706?i=1506832959[L+]ApplaudNHS that was done in eight days from their homes and all proceeds go to the NHS.