Royal Albert Hall launches its 150th anniversary celebrations with a touching 90 second film of archive clips
"Your Room Will Be Ready" features poetry by WH Auden narrated by Sir Mick Jagger
Last updated 23rd Feb 2021
The Royal Albert Hall has launched its 150th anniversary year with a 90-second tribute to live music entitled Your Room Will Be Ready, narrated by Mick Jagger, directed by BAFTA-nominee Tom Harper (The Aeronauts, Wild Rose), and scored by Academy Award-winning composer Steven Price (Gravity, Fury).
The short film, which focuses on the anticipation and energy of live events, pairs images of the empty venue with more than 40 pieces of archive event footage from 1933 to the present, accompanied by Sir Mick reading from For Friends Only by W.H. Auden.
Clips include BBC Archive footage of Shirley Bassey, George Michael and Luciano Pavarotti, recently rediscovered material from a 23-year-old Jacqueline du Pré’s 1968 concert for the people of Czechoslovakia, and Albert Einstein speaking out against the Nazis in 1933. Freddie Mercury’s appearance at Fashion Aid 1985 features, alongside an excerpt from D.A. Pennebaker’s 1968 Bob Dylan documentary, Dont Look Back.
Recorded at Mark Knopfler’s British Grove Studios, the film’s original score features the Tippett Quartet, celebrated flautist Eliza Marshall and BBC Symphony Orchestra principal trumpet Philip Cobb. It was composed by Steven Price.
Craig Hasall, Chief Executive at the Royal Albert Hall said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to unveil this film, and so grateful to the many incredible creatives who have lent their efforts to the project. The film is the first event of our 150th anniversary celebrations – a tribute to live events that focuses on the light at the end of the tunnel, as we look to a route out of our enforced closure.
“We’re especially thrilled that Sir Mick agreed to narrate the film, almost 60 years on from his first performance here. Tom’s aim with the film was to evoke the excitement and humanity of live performance, which is the true soul of concert venues and something we are desperately missing right now.”
He added that the Hall’s continued closure means that the venue remains in financial crisis. “As a charity that is not in receipt of recurrent government funding, we rely solely on ticket sales and ancillary income for our survival, and we hope to re-open our doors in the not-too-distant future.”
Watch Royal Albert Hall's 150th anniversary film 'Your Room Will Be Ready'
The film will be premiered on YouTube from 9am on Tuesday 23 February 2021
Who features in the 90 second tribute 'Your Room Will Be Ready'?
*denotes unseen or unreleased footage
Albert Einstein, 1933 – British Pathé
The Film Ball, 1933 – British Pathé
Chelsea Arts Club Ball, 1952 – British Pathé
Sir Winston Churchill, 1954 – British Pathé
HM The Queen, 1964 – British Pathé
Bob Dylan, 1965 – Dont Look Back by D.A. Pennebaker
The Rolling Stones, 1966 – Tonite Let’s All Make Love in London by Peter Whitehead.
Jacqueline du Pré, 1968 – ‘Concert in Support of the Brave People of Czechoslovakia’. BBC Archive
*Jimi Hendrix, 1969 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience: The Royal Albert Hall by Jerry Goldstein.
Jethro Tull, 1969 – Swing In. Rockpalast / Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
Led Zeppelin, 1970. ‘Communication Breakdown’ from Led Zeppelin DVD. Filmed by Peter Whitehead, restored by Dick Carruthers and Jimmy Page
*Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1970. Unreleased, restored footage. Craft Recordings.
Shirley Bassey, 1972 – from the BBC Archive
Diana Ross, 1973 – from the BBC Archive
Luciano Pavarotti, 1982 – from the BBC Archive
Freddie Mercury, 1985 – Fashion Aid 1985. Kevin Godley / Band Aid Trust.
Evgeny Kissin, 1997 – The Albert Hall Encores. Christopher Nupen / Allegro Films
George Michael, 1999 – Concert for Linda. From the BBC Archive.
Billy Preston, 2002 – Concert for George. David Leland / RadicalMedia.
Simon Rattle / Berliner Philharmoniker / BBC Proms, 2004. From the BBC Archive.
The Killers, 2006. Live from the Royal Albert Hall. Dick Carruthers.
Sinfónica Simón Bolívar Orquesta / Gustavo Dudamel / BBC Proms, 2007. From the BBC Archive.
Adele, 2011 – Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Paul Dugdale / Done & Dusted.
Florence + the Machine, 2012. Florence + the Machine: Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Richard Cohen / LoveLive TV
Foals, 2013 – Holy Fire: Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Dave Ma / Pulse Films
Joshua Bell / BBC Proms, 2013. From the BBC Archive.
Mitsuko Uchida / BBC Proms, 2013. From the BBC Archive.
Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn, 2013 – from the Teenage Cancer Trust archive.
Coldplay, 2014 – Ghost Stories Live.
Eric Clapton, 2015 – Slowhand at 70 – Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Blue Leach / Eagle Rock.
Iggy Pop, 2016 – Post Pop Depression. Nick Wickham / Eagle Rock.
*Chris Cornell, 2016 – unseen footage courtesy of the Chris Cornell Estate / Patriot Management.
Birmingham Royal Ballet, 2017 – The Nutcracker. Royal Albert Hall Archive.
Songhoy Blues, 2017 – ‘Later…with Jools Holland 25 at the Royal Albert Hall’. BBC Archive.
Dizzee Rascal, 2017 – ‘Later…with Jools Holland 25 at the Royal Albert Hall’. BBC Archive.
Foo Fighters, 2017 – ‘Later…with Jools Holland 25 at the Royal Albert Hall’. BBC Archive.
The Who, 2017 – Tommy – Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Chris Rule / Eagle Rock.
Cirque du Soleil – OVO, 2018. Cirque du Soleil Archive.
Bastille, 2018 – ‘Quarter Past Midnight (Live From Royal Albert Hall)’. Georgio Testi / Pulse Films
Wizkid, 2018 – ‘Wizkid: Lagos to London’. Boiler Room.
Anthony Yarde v Travis Reeves, 2019. Frank Warren / Queensberry Promotions.
Stormzy, 2019 – ‘Global Citizen Awards’. Global Poverty Project.
For more information about the Royal Albert Hall's 150th anniversary events visit the Royal Albert Hall website**.**