Rufus Wainwright to launch Royal Albert Home series tomorrow

Royal Albert Home is a series of free shows that will be streamed from artists' homes during the coronavirus pandemic.

For the first show taking place tomorrow (9 April), Rufus Wainwright will be performing.

The schedule will also see sets from Baxter Dury, Idlewild's Roddy Woomble, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, and more.

JUST ANNOUNCED: We are excited to present #RoyalAlbertHome - a programme of exclusive sessions by the world’s most talented artists, streaming from their homes to yours https://t.co/jR5e05iJpo

— Royal Albert Home (@RoyalAlbertHall) April 8, 2020

Wainwright says of his launch show, "When push comes to shove, the Royal Albert Hall is my favourite venue in the UK. It is the perfect mix of both formal and fun. It is grand and intimate at the same time. Also it is where my mother Kate McGarrigle did her last concert in 2009. I am proud to be one of the first artists to give a Royal Albert Home concert from my home in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles."

He adds, "I will try to be your "Gay Messiah" in these difficult times, serve you some "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk", give you hopefully a "Peaceful Afternoon", maybe pray a little 'Agnus Dei', hold you virtually "In My Arms", take you to "Sanssouci" in your mind, show you some "Pretty Things" and make your "Alone Time" uplifting, funny, hilarious, beautiful and bearable. In short, I will take you through my repertoire and my life, and preview some of my new material from my upcoming album, Unfollow the Rules, which we are now releasing on 10 July."

Artistic Director of the Royal Albert Hall, Lucy Noble, says, "The Hall has always been a place where people come together at times of national crisis. Right now that isn’t possible, but we want to keep the venue’s spirit alive, and provide something that will cheer you, inspire you or just distract you during this difficult time. These events will reflect the diversity of the shows that we put on each month, allowing audiences not just to spend an evening with a favourite artist, but also to discover new favourites and try something different, whether that’s genre-hopping singer-songwriters, award-winning spoken word, or world-class classical music."

Noble adds, "When times are tough, people’s priorities understandably change, but we know that the Hall holds a unique place in the memories and hearts of millions. We are doing our best to keep entertaining the world during our closure but the building is at risk and the show cannot go on without support and donations. Now is the chance for anyone who loves this place to show their appreciation and protect the future of the Royal Albert Hall."