The Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance
09 November 2011
Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh and other Members of the Royal Family will attend The Royal British Legion's annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 12 November.
This year's Festival will feature performances by Sir Cliff Richard, Katherine Jenkins, Joe McElderry, Alfie Boe and a choir composed of military wives with husbands on active service in Afghanistan.
The Festival, which pays tribute to all victims of war and conflict, will be hosted by BBC News presenter Huw Edwards and will be broadcast on BBC One Television from 9.15pm to 10.50pm on the evening of the performance.
Sir Cliff Richard OBE will perform with the Royal Air Force Squadronaires, one of the UK's finest Big Bands. Over a 53-year career, Sir Cliff has become a fixture of the British entertainment world and he became the first rock star to receive a knighthood in 1995.
The Military Wives Choir from the Royal Marines Base Chivenor in north Devon will sing 'Wherever you Are'. These inspiring women were guided by choirmaster Gareth Malone while their husbands were serving in Afghanistan for the popular BBC Two television series 'The Choir'.
Classical crossover artist Joe McElderry will perform 'To Where You Are' which appears on his second studio album, 'Classic'. Joe was crowned The X-Factor winner in 2009 and went on to win 'Popstar to Operastar' earlier this year. He has released two UK top three albums and sold over one million records.
Welsh mezzo-soprano
and Festival favourite Katherine Jenkins returns this year to sing
a Remembrance Day tribute to Service men and women, 'A Flower',
from her new album 'Daydream'. Katherine is a great supporter of
the Armed Forces and The Royal British Legion and her fiancé,
Gethin Jones, launched this year's Poppy Appeal.
English tenor Alfie Boe will perform with The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines from Plymouth, while other bands will include The Massed Bands of the Guards Division, The Central Band of the Royal Air Force, The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas and The Pipes and Drums of the 1st Batallion The Royal Gurkha Rifles.
There will be special acknowledgements of Pensioners from the Royal Hospital Chelsea and representative war widows and bereaved relatives.
The Festival includes the traditional Two Minute Silence as poppy petals fall from the roof of the Royal Albert Hall, each representing a life lost in war.
Notes to Editors:
A Royal Rota is in effect. No independent photographers
will be accredited to this event.
For further information, please contact Robert Lee, Head of Media and Campaigns, at M: 07798 654 071 or E: rlee@britishlegion.org.uk
