Aled Jones to sing at Bradford Live Yorkshire Day concert

Bradford’s Yorkshire Day celebrations have gained an extra sprinkling of celebrity stardust today as Aled Jones has joined the star-studded line-up for Yorkshire Calling on Friday 1 August, the first concert to be held at the newly-refurbished Bradford Live venue.

He joins renowned poet and playwright, Ian McMillan, the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, Leeds International Piano Festival finalist Yuanfan Yang and the BBC Radio Leeds Bantam of the Opera choir, with Bradford City legend, Chris Kamara, who is the choir’s ambassador.

The Bantam of the Opera choir features fans of Bradford City AFC, known as ‘the Bantams’ who have been taught to sing opera to celebrate Bradford’s UK City of Culture year. The world-renowned BBC Singers have supported the choir during their development, with support from Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and opera singer Lesley Garrett.

The Bantam of the Opera team have been rehearsing at the City Hub, the Bradford City FC Community Foundation's outreach centre, next to the University of Bradford Stadium.

Pianist Yuanfan Yang is an alumnus of the 2015 and 2018 Leeds International Piano competition. He is the Piano Ambassador for the Wharfedale Festival of Piano which includes the annual Waterman Piano Recital Series in memory of The Leeds co-founder Dame Fanny Waterman.

Under the baton of Ben Crick, Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra will perform A Northern Score, featuring poems written and narrated by Ian McMillan, celebrating influential northerners through the ages, set to an original score written by Ben.

Aled Jones will be performing a selection of songs from his stellar career, and is keen to visit God’s Own County as he has family links to the area.

Aled said: “I’m so pleased to be part of such a historic occasion in Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture. I’d like to think of myself as something of an honorary Yorkshireman as my wife is Keighley born and bred, so it’s always nice to come back to my family’s second home and even better to do so and perform.”

It will be an extra special night for Chris Kamara, who will be reprising his unforgettable duet with Aled Jones from their appearance on ITV’s Britain Get Singing during the concert. The former Sky Sports presenter, who has won fans and plaudits for his work raising awareness of his battle with apraxia, reduced the judges on the popular show to tears with his duet, and he can’t wait to do it again for the special Yorkshire Day audience in Bradford

Chris Kamara said: “It’s been an incredible journey to date with Bantam of the Opera, performing at Valley Parade and even on the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2. Now to be part of the first concert at Bradford Live, singing with Aled again, it’s unbelievable!”

Yorkshire Calling is the headline event of this year’s Yorkshire Day celebrations on Friday 1 August, which are being held in Bradford & Ilkley and are led by The Yorkshire Society in partnership with Bradford Council and Ilkley Business Improvement District.

The day starts with the civic celebrations, where Lord Mayors and Yorkshire Society members from across the county will visit Bradford City Hall, before heading to Ilkley for a Lord Mayors parade, church service and civic lunch at the fantastic King’s Hall & Winter Gardens.

A number of events will take place across Bradford & Ilkley over the weekend to celebrate Yorkshire Day, including a comedy night at St George’s Hall and a new Yorkshire-themed rock gig, Monsters of Yorkshire Rock, at Nightrain in Bradford, headlined by Graham Oliver from Yorkshire heavy metal legends, Saxon. In Ilkley there will be a weekend of family-friendly events and activities, as well as a Yorkshire-themed market and the first ever Yorkshire Beer Festival.