The Royal Albert Hall’s series of free, exclusive streamed shows will continue throughout July, with performances from classical saxophonist Jess Gillam, composer and multi-instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney, Philadelphian songwriting duo Marian Hill, and guitarist Justin Adams.
The quartet join a line-up that includes violinist Nicola Benedetti, pop songwriter Guy Chambers, and a night of country music curated by Nashville Meets London, alongside a pair of classical concerts for kids.
Since launching on 9 April with Rufus Wainwright, the Hall’s Royal Albert Home programme has featured more than 40 performances from acclaimed artists such as Sinéad Harnett, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Lucy Dacus, Imogen Heap and Richard Thompson, racking up 1.2m streams and raising almost £100,000 for the venue, which is closed for the first time since the Blitz.
Lucy Noble, Artistic Director at the Royal Albert Hall, said: “We’re delighted to announce four more fantastic acts for Royal Albert Home. With this series we wanted to keep the name and the spirit of the venue alive, as well as raising money during our closure, and the results have been just as eclectic as our usual programme, showcasing everything from inner-city soul to European electronica, and American indie to Bach cello suites. These four new shows will spotlight two of our old friends – former Last Night of the Proms star Jess Gillam, and the genius that is Nitin Sawhney – alongside the brilliant up-and-coming songwriting duo, Marian Hill, and one of our finest guitarists, Justin Adams.”
Jess Gillam will perform with an accompanist on Wednesday 8 July, playing a selection of pieces by Gershwin, Bach, Milhaud, Pedro Iturralde and David Bowie, before the Hall joins promoter Serious for a live-streamed session with guitarist, producer and composer Justin Adams (Thu 9 July), who’ll serve up a succession of instrumentals and discuss his career with friend and collaborator Mauro Durante. Nitin Sawhney’s show on Friday 10 July will include new recordings alongside clips from his sold-out show at the Hall in 2019 – which celebrated the 20th anniversary of his seminal album, Beyond Skin – before Marian Hill take to the virtual stage on Saturday 11 July, showcasing their jazz-inspired, electro-R&B.
Jess Gillam was the first saxophonist to reach the final of BBC Young Musician of the Year and the first to be signed to the Decca Classics label. She starred at the Last Night of the Proms in 2018, where her performance met with universal acclaim, and later released a debut album, Rise, which went to No.1 in the UK Classical Charts. She is a Classic BRIT Award-winner, and has a parallel career as a music presenter, becoming the youngest in the history of BBC Radio 3.
Nitin Sawhney is a British composer, producer, songwriter, album artist, club DJ, broadcaster, multi-instrumentalist, film composer and orchestrator. He holds six honorary doctorates, two fellowships and an honorary degree, and has received both the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award and a CBE. He has had a long association with the Royal Albert Hall, headlining the venue five times since 2001.
Justin Adams is one of the UK’s most original guitarists. His father was a British diplomat in Jordan and Egypt, and Justin’s work is strongly influenced by his childhood exposure to Arab music. He has collaborated with Jah Wobble, Tinariwen and Robert Plant, playing at the Hall with the latter in 2017. He also appeared at the BBC Proms last year alongside the Italian band, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino.
Marian Hill, named after two characters from The Music Man, are producer Jeremy Lloyd and vocalist Samantha Gongol, whose unique sound blends elements ranging from blues harmonies to striking pop melodies and hip hop percussion. Signed to Republic Records, they released their debut album, Act One, in 2016. It included the sleeper hit ‘Down’, which peaked at #21 in the Billboard Hot 100.
To watch the shows, enjoy any previous performance on catch-up, or donate to the Hall’s fundraising appeal, go to www.royalalberthall.com/RAHome. More shows will be announced soon.
Guy Chambers
Thu 2 Jul, 7:30pm
Nicola Benedetti
Sat 4 Jul, 7:30pm
Jess Gillam
Wed 8 Jul, 7:30pm
Royal Albert Home and Serious Livestream Sessions presents
Justin Adams
Thu 9 Jul, 8:30pm
Nitin Sawhney
Fri 10 Jul, 7:30pm
Classical for Kids – Violin and Trumpet
Sat 11 Jul, 2pm
Marian Hill
Sat 11 Jul, 7:30pm
Classical for Kids – Playful Piano with Dawn Hardwick
Sat 25 Jul, 2pm
Nashville Meets London (The Cadillac Three, Michael Ray, Tenile Townes, and Twinnie)
Sat 18 Jul