The Mayor of London Boris Johnson will today (Saturday 8th December) be joined by gold album selling opera duo Jonathan & Charlotte for a magenta and purple Christmas celebration. In recognition of the fantastic work of the Team London Ambassadors, Games Makers, Travel Ambassadors and other Olympic volunteers, the Mayor is hosting a ticketed Carol Concert in Trafalgar Square.
An audience of 3500 volunteers will be treated to a performance by Jonathan & Charlotte, two amazingly accomplished 17 year olds from Essex, who shot to fame when they performed on this year's Britain’s Got Talent. They will be singing their popular hits including 'Rule the World' and be joined by the Centre for Young Musicians (CYM) Concert Choir to sing a selection of traditional Christmas carols.
In their distinctive magenta uniforms, the Mayor's 8,000-strong team of Ambassadors welcomed the world to London during the 2012 Games. Today, the Mayor revealed that, following successful pilots over the autumn half term, his Ambassadors and many new volunteers will have a more permanent presence in the life of the capital.
Over this festive period, Ambassadors will be providing a warm welcome to visitors arriving at Gatwick Airport and helping shoppers in and around tourist hotspot Piccadilly Circus.
The Mayor will also be joining forces with organisers of large scale events in London to provide an army of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers as an additional resource to welcome spectators and visitors to occasions such as his annual New Year's Eve fireworks display, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League Final, Saracens Rugby Club home games, international rugby fixtures, the Sundance Film Festival, Barclays ATP World Tennis Tour Finals, Turkish Airlines Euro League Basketball Finals and other top international events at the 02. As part of the programme, young unemployed Londoners will also be given the opportunity to volunteer at these events, helping to build their CV's in their search for work.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: ‘Our fantastic volunteers were one of the great success stories of 2012 and proved to be the beating heart of the Games. It was truly remarkable how people from all walks of life came together to welcome the world to our great city.
‘There is no better time to celebrate their contribution with a concert, than in this season of goodwill. I would like to thank all the volunteers and look forward to seeing many of them on London’s streets in 2013.’
Jonathan & Charlotte said: ‘We are so pleased to be a part of these celebrations. The Olympic Games were an amazing time for London and it is great to be able to thank those people who gave up their free time to make it such a success.’
Lynda Richardson, Head of Vocal Studies at the CYM said: ‘The CYM is honoured to play a part in thanking the thousands of Olympic Ambassadors, without whom this summer's Olympics could not have been such a huge success. We are also thrilled to be working with Jonathan & Charlotte, who have been inspirational to us all during the rehearsal period. They rock!’
The concert is a ticketed free event and has been supported by BT, The Mackintosh Foundation and Roar Global.
Notes to editors
Team London volunteers will play a key part in sporting and cultural events around the capital during 2013. Building on the success of a recent Ambassadors pilot event at St Pancras International, Team London Ambassadors will continue to provide a warm visitor welcome at a variety event across the capital.
Ambassadors will be stationed at Gatwick Airport 18-24 December and Piccadilly Circus 15-23 December. For information on how to sign up to volunteering opportunities and more about the Ambassadors scheme go to www.london.gov.uk/teamlondon
Jonathan & Charlotte are classical singing sensations Jonathan Antoine and Charlotte Jaconelli, who shot to fame in this year’s Britain’s Got Talent performing in front of an audience of 14 million. The will embark on their first nationwide UK tour in June 2013.The tour follows the release of their debut album ‘Together’, which shot to No5 in the UK and became the highest every entry by a classical album into the main album chart.
The Centre for Young Musicians London is division of the Guildhall School, teaches 450 children aged 7-19 every Saturday in Morley College and three surrounding schools in Lambeth. Instrumentalists have played at Buckingham Palace, and CYM singers have recorded several professional film sessions for the Disney Corporation, jingles for Evian and Kia and have sung on the Finnish rock band Nightwish's latest album Imaginaerum. For more information go to www.cym.org.uk.