In honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee year, Warner Classics announces the release of the UK’s national anthem, ‘God Save The Queen’, in the form of a bundled Double A-side single on Friday 27th May. The release features a new recording by British music legends Sarah Brightman and Alfie Boe, who are joined by the NHS Voices of Care Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside a remastered recording of the National Anthem sung at Her Majesty’s 1953 coronation service in Westminster Abbey. The release will be available worldwide on iTunes, Amazon Music and across select digital streaming platforms. The CD single will be available at select UK Asda stores and other retailers.
Warner Classics will campaign to get Her Majesty to the top of the UK singles chart for the Platinum Jubilee weekend and raise money for the British Red Cross. Brightman and Boe will join these efforts by calling on the British public to download, buy and stream the single on the week of its release. Warner Music UK and iTunes UK proceeds from this unique digital double A-Side single will be donated to support the vital work of the British Red Cross, of which Her Majesty is a Patron.
Sarah Brightman says: “When I received the call to ask if I wanted to be a part of this adventure with Alfie, I was excited about the opportunity and the efforts behind the project. It means a lot to us both – we’d love to see the anthem get to the top of the charts and raise meaningful funds for the incredible British Red Cross during the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.”
Alfie Boe says: “I feel honoured to be a part of this very special project with the amazing Sarah Brightman, the very talented NHS Voices of Care Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s an amazing opportunity to raise money for the British Red Cross who do such a great job day-in day-out, whilst of course trying to get the national anthem to the top of the charts during Her Majesty’s Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend.”
The recording of the BBC’s broadcast of the coronation service from Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 was taken by means of a direct line to Abbey Road Studios in London. Having first been released on LP in 1953 and later reissued on CD in 1997, it became part of the Warner Classics catalogue following the acquisition of EMI’s Parlophone Label Group in 2013.
Now remastered in Dolby Atmos, the music from the coronation service – which featured a choir comprised of more than four hundred singers – can be heard in immersive audio for the first time on a recording released by Warner Classics to coincide with the Platinum Jubilee. Highlights include much-loved classics ‘I was glad’ (Parry), ‘Zadok the priest’ (Handel), ‘O taste and see’ (Vaughan Williams), and a rousing rendition of the National Anthem, ‘God Save the Queen.’
Sarah Brightman, the world’s best-selling Soprano and UNESCO Artist for Peace Ambassador, has amassed sales of more than 30 million, receiving awards in over 40 countries. Brightman, who originated the role of Christine Daaé in the world-renowned The Phantom of the Opera on both West End and Broadway stages, has performed at such prestigious events including the Concert for Diana, The Kennedy Center Honors and the Barcelona and Beijing Olympic Games. She has been recognized of her outstanding contribution to music and theatre with a ‘STAR’ on the world-renowned, majestic Hollywood Walk of Fame, in addition to receiving an Honorary Doctor of Arts (Hon DArt). This October, Sarah will entertain her first exclusive 3-night Las Vegas engagement at The Venetian Resort® with “A Starlight Symphony…An Evening with Sarah Brightman” before taking her annual holiday tour “A Christmas Symphony” internationally at the end of the year.
Alfie Boe, The Nation’s leading Tenor and multi platinum selling recording artist first exploded on the scene in 2002, when Baz Luhrmann cast him in a lead role in the acclaimed Broadway revival of La Bohème. His powerhouse performance brought him a Tony award and marked his arrival on the international www. He is renowned for playing Jean Val Jean in Les Miserables, as well as stints in other major West End and Broadway hit shows. His journey has lead him to achieving great success as one of the UKs leading number 1 recording artists.
In 2012, he stole the show at Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace and his appreciation and affiliation with The Royal Family leads him to joyfully celebrating this Platinum Jubilee weekend with the official release of The National Anthem alongside Sarah.
Boe has a busy year ahead; he heads out to Vegas in June to make his debut on the strip, he’ll then be reunited with Michael Ball for their set of summer shows, leading him up to his headline show at The Royal Albert Hall in October, named ‘An Evening With Alfie Boe’, celebrating 20 years in the entertainment industry.
The NHS Voices of Care Choir consists of Health Service employees and was originally put together by music producer James Hawkins to perform with Michael Ball and Captain Sir Tom Moore on their version of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, which topped the charts in 2020.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra exists to enrich lives through orchestral experiences that are uncompromising in their excellence and inclusive in their appeal. It performs around 200 concerts each season to a worldwide audience of more than half-a-million people. It is unafraid to push boundaries and is equally at home recording video game, film and television soundtracks and working with pop stars, as it is performing the great symphonic repertoire. The Orchestra’s Patron is HRH The Prince of Wales.
The British Red Cross has been helping people in crisis for more than 150 years, providing support to those who need it most, no matter who or where they are. The charity has been there through two world wars, supported the NHS from its creation and continues to respond to emergencies in the UK and around the globe. British Red Cross volunteers were on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic and in recent years have responded to domestic terror incidents and the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower. Right now, the Red Cross is supporting the people affected by the terrible conflict in Ukraine.
Pre-order links are available here.
