Jubilee Flash mob opens Bristol's first Festival of Voice

Performing the famous Hallelujah! Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, the flash mob will be made up of a group of choral singers and a brass band. It will visit several locations in the city, and will gradually be joined by more and more performers. They will begin at Bristol Temple Meads, where an actor dressed as Handel ‘arrives’ in Bristol – bringing with him his choir and band – to perform on one of the platforms. 

Fran Gibbs, Network Rail Station Support Assistant, said, “We’re proud to be supporting St George’s Bristol’s inaugural Festival of Voice this Jubilee Bank Holiday. Like our railways, music is a fantastic vehicle for connecting people and this festival will not only celebrate the vibrant city of Bristol, but will bring people together to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. With a number of events taking place throughout Bristol to mark the occasion, we’re expecting the station to be busy, so make sure you check before travelling, allow plenty of time to get to your destination, and most of all, have fun!”

The flash mob will then leave Temple Meads and proceed through Bristol. Its next stop is St Mary Redcliffe Church just as their morning service is finishing, to deliver another performance for the departing congregation and local dignitaries including the Lord Mayor Paula O’Rourke. The flash mob will then gather yet more singers at Millennium Square at 12.30pm to give a public performance, with a final performance taking place at 12.50pm on College Green, to launch the Big Jubilee Lunch. 

Anyone is welcome to join in, and Ben England, the Bristol-based founder of the online choir Homechoir, is holding online rehearsals to help singers prepare. The Big Jubilee Lunch is being organised by Bristol Cathedral in partnership with St George’s Bristol and other local organisations, including Bristol City Council, Bristol City Centre BID, Bristol Libraries, NHS University Hospitals Bristol and Weston Arts and Culture, and more.

For The Big Jubilee Lunch, St George’s Bristol has programmed the Jubilee stage on College Green, so there will be free live music across the day from artists including Lady Nade, Phil King, City of Bristol Brass Band, Samantha Lindo and more.

The flash mob also launches Bristol’s first ever Festival of Voice. Across June, this new festival from St George’s Bristol celebrates the human voice in all its forms, with concerts, talks, choirs, free outdoor sessions, workshops, busking and more. 

Samir Savant, Chief Executive of St George’s Bristol, said, “Bristol is a cosmopolitan city, bursting with cultural activity and the hum of 91 languages with so many different types of choirs and groups. What better way to bring us all together than through song? The flash mob will be a fun and quirky way to get everyone involved – and we hope it will be an entertaining occasion for the city this Jubilee weekend. Everyone is welcome to attend or take part.”