Celebrate the festive season in style with the internationally acclaimed BBC Big Band, legendary conductor Barry Forgie, and the extraordinary vocal talents of vocalist Emer McParland, as they perform a sparkling collection of seasonal favourites.
Expect an evening of festive classics - with a Swing twist! Featuring numbers such as Winter Wonderland, Santa Baby, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, and The Christmas Song - through to reimagined versions of classic Christmas carols and a sprinkling of Big Band classics. This is the perfect swinging start to your Christmas celebrations!
Conductor - Barry Forgie
Vocalist - Emer McParland
World class … a brilliant musical force The Telegraph
Joyous...! George Benson
About the Artists
The BBC Big Band are widely regarded as one of the world’s leading and most versatile Orchestras, The BBC Big Band continues to delight audiences around the world through their broadcasts on BBC Radio and their live performances.
Emer McParland (vocals) trained at Trinity College of Music in London, Emer’s unique versatility has led her to be involved in various music projects. These have included singing on movie soundtracks such as Avengers, Disney’s Aladdin, Harry Potter, Mission: Impossible, Tomb Raider, Sleepy Hollow and The Mummy Returns, as well as being featured along include popular music artists such as diverse as Peter Gabriel, Katherine Jenkins and Bjork. Emer's heart lies in live work, and she has appeared at some of the UK’s premier music venues, including The Royal Albert Hall, London’s legendary jazz venue Ronnie Scott's, as well as London’s Hyde Park. Her orchestral experience includes appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra (Ireland), The BBC Concert Orchestra and, of course, the wonderful BBC Big Band
Barry Forgie (musical director & conductor) began conducting the BBC Big Band on a regular basis in 1977. He has built an unparalleled repertoire for the band, transcribing the best of big band music from early Ellington, through the Swing era, to the likes of Gerry Mulligan and Buddy Rich. Unrealised ambitions to swim the Channel, play rugby for England, row for Cambridge, defeat Kasparov at chess, and invent a new computer language for Microsoft, are more than compensated for by the thrill of fronting the BBC Big Band!
