Alexander Olleson, who was announced as the winner of the Songs of Praise and BBC Radio 2 Young Chorister of the Year competition yesterday, will join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for its annual Christmas Celebration concert this week.
From 26 November, 4pm on our YouTube channel you can watch the exclusive online premiere of this performance, and enjoy the luscious sounds of a full string orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular piece – a work inspired by Mozart, and described by the composer as written ‘from the heart’.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is bringing audiences a huge serving of festive joy and Christmas cheer in the comfort of their own homes this December, with the exclusive broadcast of this specially recorded performance, featuring John Rutter and a host of special guests. With so many concerts cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Orchestra was thrilled to be able to record this unique production at the end of October in the stunning surroundings of St Albans Cathedral (complying fully with regional restrictions and social distancing regulations) and is proud to be able to share it with online audiences worldwide.
Since the beginning of lockdown, the RPO’s Co-Principal Cello Jonathan Ayling has been making the most of his unexpected time away from the concert stage and enjoying the extra practice time it has afforded him. He set about learning a piece that he had wanted to learn for years but had never got around to amid his usually busy schedule: Bach’s Cello Suite No.5.
Watch his video diary to see how he has been getting on, learn more about how the Suite is played and to enjoy some exquisite music from this legendary composer.
