Guest stars include Lemn Sissay and Guy Garvey
TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 - Yesterday the Hallé announced an extra-special Christmas present, free for everyone to enjoy on YouTube – a specially recorded Christmas Concert.
Filmed in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall and conducted by Hallé Pops Maestro Stephen Bell, this magnificent performance will be available from midday on Sunday 20 December and for up to a month afterwards. To watch, simply visit the Hallé’s YouTube channel on the day at www.youtube.com/TheHalleOfficial.
The concert includes contributions from the entire Hallé Orchestra, its family of Choirs and special guest readers. These include author Lemn Sissay reading his poem ‘Let There Be Peace’, and singer-songwriter (and longtime friend of the Hallé) Guy Garvey giving his own rendition of ‘The Night Before Christmas’.
Brother are once again delighted to be sponsoring the Hallé Christmas Concert, and are particularly proud to do so as part of the Hallé’s first ever online season. Phil Jones, Managing Director of Brother UK has written and will read his poem ‘A Digital Christmas’ as part of the festivities. This wonderful concert is an extra special Christmas gift from Brother and the Hallé to everyone in Manchester, around the country and throughout the world.
Alongside a host of Christmas favourites, including ‘Winter Wonderland’, ‘White Christmas’, ‘Silent Night’, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, The Nutcracker Suite, ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Sleigh Ride’, the orchestra will also perform the children’s story Slinky Malinki’s Christmas Crackers, set to music by Tim Redmond with illustrations from the book. The concert will open with a brand new Christmas Fanfare written by Stephen Bell entitled And All the Bells on Earth Shall Ring.
David Butcher, Chief Executive of The Hallé said: “Brother are the Hallé’s longest serving sponsor and are amongst our most valued business supporters. We deeply appreciate Brother’s continued support for this, the Hallé’s Christmas present to everyone. It is typical of Brother and particularly of Phil Jones to go that one step further and create such a unique and appropriate message for us all. This concert is a wonderful opportunity for the whole Hallé family to thank everyone for their incredible support over the past nine months and bring some Christmas cheer to everyone however you are spending your Christmas.”
Phil Jones, Managing Director of Brother UK said: “Researching possible readings and poems, nothing seemed to sum up the circumstances of spending so much time apart and on screens over the last nine months. Given that, I thought I’d have a go at writing something that captures the moment, so I hope that it resonates.”
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