Radio producer/presenter and Technical Advisor at Corinium Radio. Spend my weekends driving abroad. Interested in politics, news & current affairs, baking, and my two cats. I read, write, and speak Greek and German. University of Gloucestershire Radio Production graduate. Based in Cirencester but often found on the road both in the UK and abroad.
Royal Albert Hall: Guy Barker’s Big Band at Christmas
Wednesday, 17. December 2025 South Kensington, London
My (almost) annual visit to the Christmas show at the Royal Albert Hall took place this week – I went to see Guy Barker’s Big Band in concert on Wednesday, which I really enjoyed.
It was not, in fact, the normal Christmas show I go to – I usually go for their carol service – but as tickets were so expensive for that I instead opted for Guy Barker’s Big Band.
Guy Barker, a jazz trumpeter and composer, and also a radio presenter (he has presented series on Radio 2 in the past) is a name well known to me but I’ve never seen his Big Band playing live. So this was a first for me!
The evening featured songs by all the young, up-and-coming artists: Nat King Cole, Fred Astaire, Ray Charles…..all in that Big Band style which sound really good live in the setting of the Royal Albert Hall.
He was joined by many special guests – Clare Teal as the main presenter, plus Clarke Peters, Vanessa Haynes,ย Giacomo Smith, Joe Stilgoe, Naomi Banks and Tommy Blaize. Talented vocalists, pianists and clarinetists. It was so much fun to have front row seats, enjoying the festive atmosphere.
Photos don’t do justice to how great the evening was – you should have been there.
“Just when it seemed that the quality of singing couldnโt be surpassed, Clarke Peters sashayed on to tell us the tale of Minnie the Moocher. With Guy Barker on growl trumpet and the band superbly channelling Cab Calloway, Clarke Peters got the Royal Albert Hall audience to sing along and gave a performance of slinky, silky, irresistible jive. Santa in a zoot suit.”.
