A matter of days after countrywide lockdown was announced, Craig Hassall, the chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall, launched a series of concerts in quarantine. The live online concerts, which have hit more than half a million views in their first few weeks, have captured the imagination of the country.
From Jack Garratt to Rufus Wainwright, KT Tunstall to Alfie Boe, the performances have served to cater to a range of interests and audiences. All performers film from home, and stream live to viewers across both the country and the globe.
Choruses have also been brought together, with 80 members of the Royal Choral Society performing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, conducted by Richard Cooke in his garden. Hassall notes: “We got a tweet from the Queen about that one,” continuing: “We were the first big venue in the world to put live created content online. Now we have all levels of artists approaching us to appear.”
All concerts performed are freely available on the Royal Albert Hall archive and aim first and foremost to connect music lovers who have been separated by the nature of the pandemic. Funds are also being raised for the hall which operates as a charity.
Hassall continues: “The support has surpassed our expectations. Not only in donations, but in the passionate messages we’ve received from all round the world. We’ve learnt how important we are in the cultural tapestry of people’s lives, as well as how to use technology better.
“It has been easier than we imagined, largely because everyone involved has been so keen for it to happen — from the artists to their agents and promoters. And in most cases the concerts are quite low-tech, just the artist and their smartphone.”
Concerts under the Royal Albert Home project can be heard here.
