LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Royal Albert Hall launched its 150th anniversary on Tuesday, releasing a short video narrated by rocker Mick Jagger and honoring live performances.
“Your Room Will Be Ready” combines archive footage of Royal Albert Hall entertainment and political events as well as sports with images of the empty London venue, which was closed during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Jagger, played with The Rolling Stones four times at the Royal Albert Hall in the 1960s, will read WH Auden’s poem “For Friends Only” in the 90-second video.
“I vividly remember playing there with the Stones in the 1960s when it became a bit wild, with enthusiastic fans joining us on stage and almost taking the show. to an abrupt end – but we sold on and had a really good time, ”Jagger said in a statement.
The film features clips such as Jimi Hendrix, Diana Ross, Luciano Pavarotti, Adele and Stormzy as well as a historical film of wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and German physicist Albert Einstein speaking at the scene.
“(The film) is not only a celebration of performances from the Hall’s glorious era, but also an expectation of some of the things we can look forward to when we can be together again. , ”Said Tom Harper, who directed the film. .
The Royal Albert Hall, a registered charity, said it closed for the time being last year since World War II, canceling more than 330 exhibitions and losing 34 million pounds ($ 48 million) in revenue.
It will mark its birthday on March 29 with celebrations planned over the next year including commissions from British artists and concerts.
The hall, named after Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, opened in 1871, 10 years after his death at the age of 42.
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Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Edited by Alexandra Hudson