Rick Wakeman – Live at the London Palladium 2023 4CD Box Set

Rick Wakeman – Live at the London Palladium 2023

In February 2023, Rick Wakeman performed two sell out concerts at the London Palladium which celebrated his most acclaimed work as a solo artist and as a member of Yes. The first concert saw Rick Wakeman, the English Rock Ensemble and the English Chamber Choir, conducted by Guy Protheroe perform his first solo work, ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII’ and ‘The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table’, while the second night’s concert featured a set of classic Yes material and ‘The Meeting’ (originally performed by Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman And Howe), along with the multi-platinum-selling solo work ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’. The concerts were some of the most memorable of Rick’s career.A year on from these magical shows, Rick Wakeman releases ‘Live at the London Palladium 2023’ on his own label Fragile Records, in partnership with Esoteric Recordings. This is an impressive 4CD set which features the complete concerts and is both a wonderful souvenir of two unique shows for long-term fans and an outstanding introduction to Rick’s catalogue for new ones.The music on these albums features fresh interpretations of Rick’s back catalogue adapted for band and choir, including the newly-penned ‘YES Suite’, all never before released on record in this form.The English Rock Ensemble consists of internationally renowned musicians, all with years of experience in performing the music of Rick Wakeman and YES. They feature Dave Colquhoun – guitars (Guitarist Magazine’s ‘Guitarist Of The Year’ ’94/95), Adam Falkner – drums (Amy Macdonald, Dido, Patricia Kaas), Lee Pomeroy – bass (Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Caravan), Hayley Sanderson – lead vocals (Strictly Come Dancing, Kaiser Chiefs, Nile Rodgers) Adam Wakeman – keyboards and guitars (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Jazz Sabbath) with recorded narrations by popular actors Peter Egan (Downton Abbey, After Life) and Ian Lavender (Dad’s Army, EastEnders).

Tracklist:
DISC ONE
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
1 Catherine of Aragon
2 Anne Boleyn
3 Jane Seymour
4 Anne of Cleves
5 Catherine Howard
6 Catherine Parr

DISC TWO
The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
1 King Arthur
2 Lady of the Lake
3 Guinevere
4 Lancelot And the Black Knight
5 The Best Knight
6 Sir Galahad
7 Excalibur
8 The Last Battle
9 (ENCORE) The King of Merlins
10 (ENCORE) Merlin the Magician

DISC THREE
Yes
1 Roundabout
2 The YES Suite (part A – The Meeting)
3 The YES Suite (part B – Wonderous Stories)
4 The YES Suite (part C – Southside of the Sky)
5 And You And I
6 Starship Trooper / Wurm

DISC FOUR
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
1 The Preface
2 The Journey Overture
3 Journeys Dawn
4 Crystals / The Gothic Cathedral / A Quest for Water
5 The Hansbach / Fervent Prayer
6 The Recollection / Lost And Found
7 Echoes / 4 Miles
8 The Reunion
9 A New Vista
10 A World within a World
11 The Raft
12 The Battle
13 Cumulous Clouds
14 The Storm
15 The Cemetery
16 Quaternary Man
17 Mastodons
18 The Forest
19 Ages of Man
20 The Tunnel
21 Hall of the Mountain King / Mount Etna

Label: Fragile Records
Released: 2024