11 May 2010
Recital by City of London Academy Southwark Choir surprises new
Freeman of the City, Gareth Malone
Students from the City of London Academy Southwark’s Choir
surprised BBC2 The Choir’s Gareth Malone with songs from
Take That and John Rutter, shortly after he received the Freedom of
the City of London at Guildhall yesterday.
The students arrived, in secret, at Guildhall to sing Rule
the World by Take That and For the Beauty of the
Earth by John Rutter to Gareth, his wife and his family in the
15th-century Great Hall, after he attended his Freedom ceremony
with Lord Mayor Nick Anstee and Alderman Andrew Parmley.
Gareth, who is best known for presenting the award-winning
series, The Choir, told the Academy’s choir and music
teacher that the surprise recital by the 25-strong choir had moved
him and was one of the highlights of the day.
The Choir, which was first broadcast in 2006, followed
Gareth as he went into schools across the country to encourage
children to form - and sing in - a choir. The Choir ran to
three series and has won two BAFTAs, an RTS and Broadcast award.
His new series, Gareth Goes to Glyndebourne, will be
broadcast on BBC2 later this year.
- Gareth said: “I'm delighted and honoured to have been invited
to become a Freeman of the City of London. I started working in the
City during 2001 and I've had a close association with the area
ever since, through my work with the London Symphony Orchestra and
the Barbican Centre. Since my first visits to concerts in the
Barbican as a child in the 1980s, the City has filled me with
excitement and over the last nine years, I've enjoyed performing in
churches and performance venues in the area, as well as working
with the young people and communities of the City of London. I look
forward to furthering my work in the future.”
The Freedom of the City of London is believed to have begun in
1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade and today,
people are nominated for, or apply for, the Freedom, because it
offers them a link to the historic City of London and one of its
ancient traditions. Many of the traditional privileges associated
with the Freedom, including driving sheep over London Bridge and
being drunk and disorderly in the City without fear of arrest, no
longer exist.
Ends
- Press enquiries:
Andrew Buckingham, Press Officer (Features), City of London
Corporation
Tel: 020 7332 1452 / Mobile: 07795 333 060
Email:
andrew.buckingham@cityoflondon.gov.uk
- About the City of London Corporation:
The City of London Corporation is a uniquely diverse organisation.
It supports and promotes the City as the world leader in
international finance and business services and provides local
services and policing for those working in, living in and visiting
the Square Mile. It also provides valued services to London and the
nation. These include the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School
of Music & Drama; the Guildhall Library and Art Gallery and
London Metropolitan Archive; a range of education provision
(including three City Academies); five Thames bridges (including
Tower Bridge and the Millennium Bridge); the Central Criminal Court
at Old Bailey; over 10,000 acres of open spaces (including
Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest), and three wholesale food
markets. It is also London’s Port Health Authority and runs the
Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow. It works in partnership with
neighbouring boroughs on the regeneration of surrounding areas and
the City Bridge Trust, which it oversees, donates more than £15m to
charity annually.