Every year, The House That Soul Built attends the BBC Proms which, though largely a celebration of classical music, always has some choice events for soul, jazz, and blues afficionados. Here are our top picks for this upcoming season!
The Great American Songbook and Beyond with Samara Joy, 19 July [TICKETS]
Samara Joy, hailed ‘Best New Artist’ at the 2023 Grammy Awards, may only be 25 years young but she has rightly set the jazz world alight. The pairing of her sublime vocals with standards from the Great American Songbook seems set for success. Performing tunes popularised by the likes of Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan, Joy will be backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor Miho Hazama.
Soul Revolution, 3 August [TICKETS]
Presented by seasoned radio presenter Trevor Nelson, this prom celebrates the role of Black American music (spanning spirituals, gospel, and soul) as a tool of resistance and social change, particularly during the Civil Rights Movement. With guest vocalists and a gospel choir, the BBC Concert Orchestra will be conducted by Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser who steered last year’s riotous disco prom. Expect renditions of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Nina Simone tunes performed with aplomb.
Golda Schultz Sings Gershwin and Bernstein, 6 September [TICKETS]
A South African soprano, Golda Schultz will perform songs and arias composed by the likes of George Gerwshin, Leonard Bernstein, and Kurt Weill. Expect the likes of Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ (from Porgy and Bess) and Bernstein’s ‘Somewhere’ (from West Side Story), alongside orchestral performances of Franz Schreker‘s Chamber Symphony 28’ and Igor Stravinsky‘s The Firebird.
