On December 10, 2024, Grammy award-winning orchestrator, arranger, and conductor Jules Buckley follows up his triumphant August 2022 concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall in tribute to Aretha Franklin, with a spectacular seasonal salute to the iconic and undisputed ‘Queen of Soul’.
Reprising her 2022 performance at the BBC Proms with Jules and his Orchestra, vocalist Sheléa (a protégée of the late Quincy Jones) will be joined by Vula’s Chorale for an evening of new soul arrangements of Christmas classics alongside some of the most beloved gems from Aretha’s hit-filled catalogue, including “Respect,” “I Say A Little Prayer,” “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” and “Sparkle.”
Notes Buckley, “Returning to The Royal Albert Hall to honour the greatness of Aretha with some new arrangements for Christmas will be a great night of celebration.” Tickets are available here
The setlist includes “Winter Wonderland” and “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” both recorded by Aretha in October 1964 and released as a 45 on Columbia Records along with”My Grown-Up Christmas List” and Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” two tracks from her 2008 CD of yuletide standards and carols; and “Joy To The World,” recorded in 1994 for an Arista Records’ compilation of holiday material.