01-11-2006 – Yorkshire Evening Post – Night at the Opera

Queen fans’ true night at the opera…

He was Freddie Mercury, the band was Queen … and they were the Royalty of the 1980s pop scene.

Now iconic frontman Mercury and his band’s world-famous tunes are being transferred to the classical stage for a special concert next month.

The Orchestra of Opera North is performing a string of legendary chart-toppers during its Queen Symphony at Leeds Town Hall, with Leeds Philharmonic Chorus.

The performance also includes music from Bernstein’s epic musical West Side Story, as the Leeds International Concert Season attempts to entice newcomers to orchestral music.

The Queen Symphony is the brainchild of composer, conductor and arranger Tolga Kashif, who conducts the concert on Sunday, February 12 at 7.30pm.

Queen guitarist Brian May said of Kashif: “Imagine a composer of the imagination and daring of a Tchaikovsky, a Holst or a Mussorgsky.

“Imagine him let loose with the entire Queen catalogue of melodies, atmospheres and textures and a huge choir. Then you’ll be close to imagining where this work begins.” One of Queen’s first gigs was in Leeds in November 1973, as support to Mott the Hoople. They went on to claim massive worldwide sales, and performed at a string of huge gigs across the globe.

The band famously stole the show at Wembley’s mammoth Live Aid gig in 1985 with their 20-minute set, where Freddie revelled in the world spotlight. He died in November 1991, a day after announcing he had Aids.

Simon Lindley, Leeds City Organist, said: “We’re hoping to attract people who might never have heard orchestral music live before. We want to spread the word and encourage people to enjoy songs they may have on record but in a symphony hall environment.

“This show is something a bit different for us, a bit ground breaking, and offers a unique chance to see this breathtaking work by Tolga Kashif. It will appeal to as much to a pop music fan as it will to a classical music fan. It’s absolutely stunning.” Full price tickets for the concert are priced GBP13 to GBP25, and discounts are available. More details and tickets are available from the Box Office on 0113 224 3801.