News - Ministry of Sound Classical

Two of London’s great music institutions will join forces for one iconic show in May as Ministry of Sound comes to the Royal Albert Hall...

Press Release

Presented by Raymond Gubbay Ltd and the Royal Albert Hall, Ministry of Sound Classical offers a re-imagined take on the ultimate dance hits of the nineties, featuring a 50-piece orchestra, live vocals and special guest DJ, Danny Rampling. Sold-out performances around the UK throughout last year now culminate with a debut show at the legendary London venue.

The London Concert Orchestra, conducted by Lee Reynolds, will perform a host of classic tracks, including Insomnia by Faithless, Hey Boy Hey Girl by the Chemical Brothers, Darude’s Sandstorm, and Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim set to a dazzling backdrop of lights and lasers.

Lucy Noble, Artistic Director at the Royal Albert Hall, said: “Over the past decade, we’ve brought the sounds of the club scene to one of the world’s most renowned concert halls, opening up the venue to people who might not think it’s for them. Haçienda Classical transplanted the music of ‘80s Madchester to the Hall, Innervisions spotlighted Europe’s best techno and house DJs, and with Garage Classical we celebrated the South London electronic boom of the noughties. Ministry of Sound Classical will shine a light on another great period of dance music, turning the Hall – for a night – into London’s biggest club.

“One of our main objectives ahead of our 150th anniversary in 2021 is to open up the Hall to new audiences – and show that it’s a place for everyone. Because of our royal connection, and some heavyweight classic performances, we understand that people who don’t know much about the Hall might think it’s intimidating or off-putting, so it’s about knocking down those barriers. The Hall has been at the heart of social and cultural life in Britain since 1871: a place of celebration, experimentation and transformation, from Bob Dylan’s groundbreaking 1966 tour to Nine Inch Nails’ incendiary live show, via John Lennon’s launch of ‘bagism’, Janis Joplin’s only ever solo headline show in the UK, and our embracing of electronica.”

The venue hosted its first full electronic show in 1972 when John Cage and David Tudor performed live, and since 2010 the genre has become increasingly integral to its programming, incorporating Kraftwerk’s acclaimed run of sell-out shows, Chvrches’ Albert Session – which also saw them host a production workshop for London teenagers – and shows like Binkbeats Live, Yasmine Hamdan and Tokio Myers in its smaller spaces.

Anthony Findlay, CEO of Raymond Gubbay Ltd, which is co-producing the show, said: “The company has a long-established history bringing new and innovative concepts to the Royal Albert Hall. Historically centred on classical music, opera and ballet it’s hugely exciting to be pushing the boundaries yet further by combining two icons from London’s music scene in one great show. Working closely with Coalition Agency and Ministry of Sound has opened the door to reliving legendary dance tracks, re-orchestrated and re-imagined into one powerhouse celebration.”

Ministry of Sound Classical comes to the Royal Albert Hall on Friday 15 May. Tickets, priced from £32, are on sale now.

The show is presented by arrangement with Coalition Agency.

Image - Royal Albert Hall