Saturday 11 September 2010, Hyde Park, London
Stellar line-up also includes the internationally acclaimed opera stars Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and José Carreras
Sir Terry Wogan presents with the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates
West End and Broadway star Kerry Ellis and legendary Queen guitarist Brian May are to perform at this year’s BBC Proms in the Park in Hyde Park – the annual Last Night of the Proms extravaganza broadcast live on BBC Radio 2. Now in its 15th year, BBC Proms in the Park has become Britain’s largest outdoor classical music event and is once again expected to attract around 40,000 music-lovers to join the fun and the magic of the nationwide Last Night of the Proms celebrations.
Brian May is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest guitarists. He enjoyed global success as part of the rock group Queen, with hits including Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are The Champions, We Will Rock You, and Don’t Stop Me Now. His career has gone from strength to strength over more than four decades and Brian continues to record and tour internationally.
West End leading light Kerry Ellis has starred in musicals including Wicked, Les Misérables and We Will Rock You, in which she was cast after Brian May discovered her ‘voice in a million’. He describes her as ‘the most exciting singer to emerge from England in a very long time’. Their creative relationship blossomed during Kerry’s spell in We Will Rock You and Brian and Kerry have continued to work together extensively, merging their respective West End and rock influences. In 2004 the pair recorded an orchestral version of the song No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young) – originally a Queen track. Their joint performance of the Wicked number, Defying Gravity, at the Royal Variety Show in 2008 cemented their position as two of the UK’s most innovative collaborators. Kerry is currently starring in Oliver! and her debut album, Anthems, is produced by Brian, details of which will also be announced today.
Kerry Ellis and Brian May join a star-studded line-up that includes the award-winning soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who will perform with the winner of the Radio 2 Kiri Prize, the station’s opera initiative. The event also sees the return of one third of the world-famous Three Tenors, José Carreras, and the BBC Concert Orchestra under the baton of Martin Yates.
Further acts still to be announced.
The event culminates in a live video link-up with the Royal Albert Hall and a nationwide sing-along to favourites including the Bridal Chorus from Wagner’s Lohengrin and the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic You’ll Never Walk Alone. As ever, crowds are encouraged to bring picnics and flags, to sing along and enjoy the music and firework finale.
Acclaimed Abba tribute band Björn Again, Nell Bryden, Serpentine Fire and the cast of the renowned West End musical Jersey Boys start the entertainment in the afternoon’s warm-up events, hosted by BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce. This year’s Proms in the Park follows the success of last year’s event, which featured Barry Manilow, Katherine Jenkins and Garðar Thór Cortes.
Proms in the Park fans across the UK are able to tune in to the concert live on BBC Radio 2, by pressing the red button during the Last Night of the Proms on BBC TV, or by catching up on BBC iPlayer for seven days after the event.
Now an integral part of the UK’s musical calendar, BBC Proms in the Park in Hyde Park celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2010 and is once again hosted by Sir Terry Wogan. The event is one of five major Last Night of the Proms celebrations staged across the UK by the BBC on Saturday 11 September. The others will be held in County Down, Dundee, Swansea and Salford, bringing the magic of the Last Night of the Proms to thousands of music-lovers around the UK.
Audiences can also join the Last Night of the Proms celebrations via one of the BBC Big Screens around the country – and there are more than ever in 2010, in:
Birmingham (Victoria Square), Bradford (Centenary Square), Bristol (Millennium Square), Cardiff (The Hayes), Derby (Market Place), Dover (Market Square), Edinburgh (Festival Square), Leeds (Millennium Square), Leicester (Humberstone Gate), Liverpool (Clayton Square), Manchester (Exchange Square), Middlesbrough (Centre Square), Norwich (Chapelfield Plain), Plymouth (Armada Way), Portsmouth (Guildhall Square), Swindon (Wharf Green), Waltham Forest (Walthamstow Town Square) and Woolwich (General Gordon Place).
bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/promsinthepark
bbc.co.uk/bigscreens
Listings information
BBC Proms in the Park, Hyde Park, London
BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates.
Hosted by Sir Terry Wogan
Line-up: Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, José Carreras, Brian May, Kerry Ellis
Pre-broadcast entertainment hosted by Ken Bruce
Line-up: Björn Again, Nell Bryden, the cast of Jersey Boys, Serpentine Fire
Gates open 4.00pm; entertainment on stage from 5.30pm.
Tickets: £30 (under-3s free)
Telephone booking: See Tickets on 0844 412 4630 (a transaction fee of £2.00, plus a booking fee of £1.25 per ticket applies) and from the Royal Albert Hall on 0845 401 5040 (a transaction fee of 2% of the total value, plus £2.10 per ticket applies) or online at bbc.co.uk/proms (transaction fees vary, see website for details).
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Broadcast information
This year’s BBC Last Night of the Proms celebrations are broadcast live on BBC Radio and Television; BBC Radio 2 broadcasts live from London’s Hyde Park; BBC Radio Manchester, BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Wales broadcast their events from Salford, County Down, Dundee and Swansea. Highlights of all five concerts are shown as part of BBC ONE, BBC TWO and BBC HD live coverage of the Last Night of the Proms. Digital TV viewers can press the red button to watch a selection of Proms in the Park coverage from around the UK.
For full listings of all events please go to bbc.co.uk/proms
BBC Radio 2
BBC Proms in the Park continues Radio 2’s scorching summer of live music, with memorable performances and a host of star names throughout the season. Listeners have so far enjoyed sessions from Keane, Crowded House and Paul Weller which featured live collaborations with Richard Hawley, Rox and Lauren Pritchard. Steve Winwood performed live from Maida Vale studios and in a Radio 2 In Concert exclusive, Paolo Nutini will return to his home town of Paisley on 17 August to perform a one-off live concert. Later this year, the Radio 2 Electric Proms will create new moments in music by presenting performances from a unique line-up of international and UK artists which will be broadcast later this year on Radio 2, BBC TWO and BBC Online.
The BBC Proms
The BBC Proms is the world’s largest classical music festival, with more than 90 concerts – featuring many of the world’s greatest artists and orchestras – as well as a host of extra events including talks, workshops, films, free performances and family events.
The Proms runs from Friday 16 July to Saturday 11 September 2010, and full information on the season is available at bbc.co.uk/proms.
Booking is now open:
online at bbc.co.uk/proms • by telephone 0845 401 5040 • in person at the Royal Albert Hall