The BBC Proms have today announced that guitarist/vocalist Richard Hawley and vocalist Susanne Sundfør have been added to the line up to perform at The Songs of Scott Walker (1967-70) in a Late Night Prom at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 25 July at 10.15pm. 

They will join Jarvis Cocker and John Grant on stage with Heritage Orchestra under pioneering conductor Jules Buckley in this hotly anticipated concert celebrating the works of 1960s pop icon turned 21st century avant garde Scott Walker, performed for the first time with live orchestral backing.

Featuring musical arrangements by Jules Buckley, the Prom will be a celebration of Walker’s music from 1967 to 1970 and include works such as Copenhagen and It’s Raining Today.

Richard Hawley says: "Singing a song of Scott's in the shower is major joy.... well for me anyway... but to be asked to sing a few on a stage like the Royal Albert Hall is a thing of wonder, I hope I do Scott's genius credit.”

Susanne Sundfør says: “As a life-long fan of Scott Walker, I’m very honoured to be performing some of his music at the BBC Proms in July. I’m incredibly excited to share his enduring talent alongside John Grant, Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley, and to be able to take part in such an iconic event in British culture.”

Jules Buckley says: “Richard Hawley and Susanne Sundfør are joining Jarvis Cocker and John Grant - what an incredible line-up of musical heavyweights for one hell of a celebration of Scott Walker’s early work. So many artists have been deeply inspired by Scott's work, and together with Simon Raymonde and Dick Hovenga, who have been instrumental to the creation of this project, I am so excited to bring this performance to the BBC Proms. His seminal writing from his solo albums, Scott 1-4, having never ever been performed live in their original form, will, with Scott’s blessing, be given the full Heritage Orchestra treatment.”

Tickets for The Songs of Scott Walker (1967-70) will go on sale this Saturday 13 May and are available via the BBC Proms website. The Prom will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music and will be shown on BBC Four on 28 July.

About Richard Hawley

Richard Hawley is a singer synonymous with his native city of Sheffield. Formerly a member of both Pulp (alongside Jarvis Cocker) and Longpigs he has been twice Mercury nominated and Brit Awards nominated for various of his eight solo albums. His collaboration either as singer or guitarist on songs with Elbow, Arctic Monkeys, Duane Eddy, Texas, Shirley Bassey and many more make Richard one of the most versatile and treasured artists of his generation.

About Susanne Sundfør

Susanne Sundfør released her eponymous debut album in 2007, and in the ten years since, has cemented her place as one of Norway's premier singers, songwriters and producers. She has released six albums (three of which reached number one in Norway) and has also collaborated with artists as varied as Röyksopp and M83, with whom she collaborated for the soundtrack to the Tom Cruise blockbuster Oblivion. In addition, Susanne is a skilled producer, having produced her own music as well as having worked with the Norwegian Grammy-winning duo Bow To Each Other. Susanne is currently working on new music.

About Jules Buckley

Jules Buckley has earned the respect of an astonishing spectrum of diverse collaborators. After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2004 he founded Heritage Orchestra with artistic producer Chris Wheeler, a non-classical orchestra that is unique in its use of sound, visuals and electronics. Jules’ history with the Metropole Orkest began in 2008, when he became principal guest conductor, going on to become its Chief Conductor in 2013 at the age of just 33. Collaborating with the Metropole Orkest and jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy on their album Sylva resulted in a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album in February 2016. Buckley makes his return to the BBC Proms this summer, following his phenomenally successful Proms with Quincy Jones, Kamasi Washington and Jamie Cullum last year.

BBC Proms

As the world’s biggest classical music festival, the BBC Proms offers eight weeks of world-class music-making from a vast array of leading orchestras, conductors and soloists from the UK and around the world. Across more than 90 concerts - and a similar number of free events designed to extend and further enrich the audience’s Proms experience - the festival aims to offer a summer of music that allows for the most diverse and exciting musical journeys. More than 120 years since it was founded, the driving factor in building a festival of this scale is to offer exceptional music-making at the lowest possible prices, continuing founder-conductor Henry Wood’s original ambition of bringing the best classical music to the widest possible audience. With every Prom broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and many televised on the BBC, the Proms reaches far and beyond the Royal Albert Hall. The 2017 BBC Proms runs from Friday 14 July - Saturday 9 September.