David Farnor | On 07, Aug 2020

The Royal Albert Hall is just one of many venues across the UK with their doors shut during the coronavirus pandemic, but, like the National Theatre and others, it’s also turning to the web to serve up some digital culture to audiences. Royal Albert Home streams exclusive sessions from artists’ homes to yours for free, although the Hall is also requesting donations, as its income from tickets is no longer being generated and it receives no regular funding from the government.

To support the Royal Albert Hall, donate here or text 70490 with 5ALBERT to donate £5, 10ALBERT to donate £10 or 20ALBERT to donate £20.

Previous concerts include KT Tunstall, Alfie Boe and Rufus Wainwright.

Here’s the line-up of concerts over the coming weeks, each taking place at 7.30pm:

EMEL – 8th August

Tunisian singer-songwriter Emel Mathlouthi delivers an exclusive set from her home.

Nicholas McCarthy – 9th August

Award-winning concert pianist and motivational speaker Nicholas McCarthy delivers an exclusive set from his home.

Nathaniel Rateliff – 11th August

The American singer-songwriter developed a dedicated following within the Denver music community, so much so that The New York Times dubbed him a ‘Denver local folk-pop hero’. This wave of acclaim led to a solo tour opening for The Fray, which brought his work to the attention of national and international audiences.

During this session, Nathaniel will perform a live solo acoustic rendition of his latest album And It’s Still Alright in its entirety following a one-on-one interview with Rolling Stone editor and music journalist David Fricke.

Deelee Dubé – 12th August

Embodying a stellar African musical lineage, the eclectic tastes of a London upbringing and a deep love and respect for the jazz tradition, Deelee possesses what Jazz Times called “a warm tone, genuine blues feeling and easy rhythmic authority”. In 2016 she was the first and only winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in Newark, NJ.

A songwriter, poet and singer, Dubé is a regular performer at Ronnie Scott’s, and made her Royal Albert Hall debut as part of the Late Night Jazz season in 2016. This is an exclusive set streamed from her home.

Teddy Swims – 14th August

Teddy made a name for himself online thanks to his uniquely soulful style and R&B covers, bringing his own flavor and delivery to classic songs. His cover of Bonnie Raitt’s 1991 song I Can’t Make You Love Me for example showcases both his low, smoky register and soaring, powerful vocals. Since the clip was uploaded last September, it has been viewed over twelve million times on YouTube — and the view count is still growing.

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Jaten Dimsdale, known by his moniker Teddy Swims (which stands for Someone Who Isn’t Me Sometimes), first toured the US as a hip-hop artist in early 2019 with his best friend Addy Maxwell before expanding into uncharted territory by blending the various genres he loves.

Opera for Kids – 15th August

Join Albert’s Band’s soprano Abigail Kelly as she presents opera favourites by Strauss, Verdi and Dvorak, as well as some Jamaican traditional songs. Perfect for all ages.

Roberto Fonseca – 16th August

Cuban jazz pianist Roberto Fonseca first appeared at the Hall with the Buena Vista Social Club, as part of a 400-date world tour. His subsequent nine solo projects have included the epic Afro-Cuban album, Zamazu – which spawned the song Llegó Cachaíto, used in the Hollywood film, Hancock – 2012’s Grammy-nominated Yo, and extensive tours both as a solo artist and in a trio.

During this special Royal Albert Home online session, expect retro-modern keyboards, electronic beats and AfroCuban rhythms.

Nicola Benedetti – Date TBC

Violinist Nicola Benedetti will share stories and music straight from her home during lockdown as part of the Royal Albert Home sessions. Postponed from 4th July to an unknown date.

 

Previous concerts

OPERA FOR KIDS: MACIEK O’SHEA – 16th May (2pm)

Sea Shambles: ROBIN INCE, DR HELEN CZERSKI, STEVE BACKSHALL – 17th May (7pm)

Gabriela Montero – 19th May (7.30pm)

Pianist Gabriela Montero will deliver an exclusive set as part of the Royal Albert Home sessions.

The Royal Academy of Music graduate’s visionary interpretations and unique compositional gifts have garnered her critical acclaim and a devoted following on the world stage.

Scouting for Girls – 21st May (8.15pm)

Scouting For Girls shot to fame in 2007 with their chart-topping eponymous debut album, which spawned the singles She’s So Lovely and Elvis Ain’t Dead, and last year celebrated the release of their fifth studio album, The Trouble with Boys.

The band headlined the Royal Albert Hall in 2013 and the Hall is presenting this show as part of their at-home streaming gigs.

Imogen Heap – 29th May (7.30pm)

Imogen Heap will deliver an exclusive set from her home as part of the Royal Albert Home sessions.

The Ivor Novello-winning producer, writer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and technologist is the creative force behind gestureware MI.MU gloves and the music ecosystem Mycelia.

Imogen won a Grammy for her work with Taylor Swift and was Grammy nominated as the Composer & Arranger for the acclaimed West End musical Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The setlist was voted for by the public at the start of May.

KAISER CHIEFS – 30th May (8pm)

The Leeds band have had a string of anthemic hits such as Oh My God, I Predict A Riot, Everyday I Love You Less and Less, Never Miss A Beat and Hole In My Soul.

The band have released seven original studio albums which includes their Mercury nominated debut, Employment , its number 1 follow up, Yours Truly, Angry Mob, chart-topping Education, Education, Education, and War and their most recent acclaimed album, Duck.

Lucy Dacus – 17th June (8.30pm)

Following the release of her widely-acclaimed sophomore album Historian, and the collaborative boygenius EP with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus has spent the past year rolling out a festive mix of original and cover songs tied to various holidays, including Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Bruce Springsteen’s Birthday, Halloween and Christmas. The resulting record, 2019, is a body of work that foregrounds Lucy’s versatility as both a cover artist and pre-eminent young songwriter voice. She will deliver an exclusive set from her home.

Jess Gillam (7.30pm) – 8th July

The Classic BRIT Award winner was the first saxophonist to reach the final of BBC Young Musician. In 2019 her debut album Rise, which featured a selection of her favourite pieces ranging from Marcello and Shostakovich to David Bowie and Kate Bush, shot to No. 1 in the Official UK Classical Charts.

Justin Adams (7.30pm) – 9th July

Guitarist, producer and composer Justin Adams will draw together the musical strands of his life. From his childhood in the Middle East, his years in London collaborating with Jah Wobble and others, his travels to Morocco and meeting Tinariwen in the Sahara, to his work with Robert Plant. Each fascinating anecdote will be illustrated with a song or guitar instrumental from his home studio.

Nitin Sawhney (7.30pm) – 10th July

Multi-award-winning musician and composer Nitin Sawhney will present a special session from lockdown, featuring music, classic clips and stories from Nitin himself.

Classical For Kids – Violin And Trumpet – 11th July

Albert’s Band’s Alex Caldon (trumpet) and Alexandra Caldon (violin) will deliver an exclusive set from their home, giving families a fun introduction to these two orchestral instruments and the music that they can create.

Marian Hill – 11th July

The genre-crossing duo is made up of production artist Jeremy Lloyd and vocalist Samantha Gongol. Following the release of their two EPs, Play and Sway, Marian Hill released their acclaimed debut album, Act One, in 2016 and follow-up Unusual in 2018. They perform an exclusive set from their homes.

Nashville Meets London – 18th July

A selection of some of the most exciting names in country music with The Cadillac Three, Michael Ray, Tenille Townes, And Twinnie.

Classical For Kids – Piano Party – 25th July

Albert’s Band’s pianist Dawn Hardwick will deliver an exclusive set from her home with new music by Colin Riley, Adrian Sutton, John Psathas and Julian Jacobson.

Ksenija Sidorova – 29th July

The Latvian musician is one of the world’s leading ambassadors for the classical accordion. Her repertoire spans from Bach to Piazzolla, from Efrem Podgaits and Václav Trojan to Erkki-Sven Tüür and George Bizet, and a multitude of chamber projects.

She has appeared on many of the world’s most prestigious stages, and was one of the special guests at Bryn Terfel’s 50th birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2015, alongside Sting and Danielle De Niese.

At this home session expect works by the likes of J. S. Bach, Kurt Weill and Pietro Roffi.

Becca Stevens – 30th July

Since making her debut with the 2008 album Tea Bye Sea, the multi-instrumentalist has won plaudits for her distinctive blend of genres including jazz, Irish folk and indie-rock.

Her latest album, 2020’s Wonderbloom, is a groove-heavy, dance-ready sound infused with elements of pop, funk and R&B. This exclusive set comes from her home in Brooklyn.

The Kingdom Choir – 17th July

Led by one of the UK’s most respected gospel tutors and choir conductors, Karen Gibson, The Kingdom Choir is made up of singers from in and around London.

The choir attracted global attention after performing at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018. They released a debut album, Stand by Me, later that year, and sang The Star-Spangled Banner before the first game of the 2019 Major League Baseball London Series. They present a set of at-home performances and classic clips.

SK Schlomo – 31st July

The genre-defying, award-winning, record-breaking beatboxer, producer and live-looper burst into the mainstream as ‘Shlomo’, collaborating with Björk and performing with famous fans including Damon Albarn, Lily Allen and Imogen Heap.

As the first ever World Looping Champion, he taught his friend Ed Sheeran some tricks. He has played the main stage at Glastonbury, won rave reviews for his autobiographical one-man shows, and even had a feature film about him. His debut album, Surrender, was released in 2019. This is an exclusive set streamed from his home.

Kansas Smitty’s – 5th August

Jazz outfit Kansas Smitty’s delivers an exclusive set from their home.

Peter Collins – 6th August

Peter Collins is a singer-songwriter from New Jersey who first built a following online, posting expressive covers of R&B, soul and jazz songs. His first album, Love and Mind, came out in 2018. This is an exclusive set streamed from his home.

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