London Borough of Culture celebrated at Royal Albert Hall concert

A sensational concert showcased the musical talents of hundreds of Wandsworth’s young people at the world famous Royal Albert Hall.

More than 1,650 young musicians united for the Brighter Sounds concert, which brought together local school children and performers from Wandsworth Music Academy.

In a celebration of Wandsworth’s year as London Borough of Culture, the amassed musicians and performers joined to mark the start of the milestone creative calendar this week.

The young people led a cheer of “Welcome to Wandsworth” along with Kemi Akinola, Cabinet Member for Culture, and Kate Stock, Cabinet Member for Children.

Kemi said: "I've been blown away by the amazing night of music and performance created by so many of Wandsworth's young people at the Royal Albert Hall.

"This has truly been a celebration of the diverse talent we have in our community, from the wonderful primary school singers, to the inclusive ensembles and skill of our senior orchestras. It's a fitting start to Wandsworth's exciting year as London Borough of Culture."

London Borough of Culture

Wandsworth is set to present a showstopping year of events as London Borough of Culture, including the upcoming Strictly Wandsworth dance spectacle presented by glitterball star Oti Mabuse on 26 April in Battersea Park.

Kicking off the London Borough of Culture festivities this week, the Brighter Sounds concert celebrated the musical achievements of its performers after the past six months of rehearsals and preparation.

Behind the scenes at Brighter Sounds 2025

“When I’m performing, it’s such a rush of adrenaline,” explained Sacha, 12, from Harris Academy Battersea. “It’s a really great experience and I’ve made new friends through this opportunity.” 

A musical theatre extravaganza spotlighting scenes from West Side Story opened the thrilling night as more than 250 performers joined in a collaboration between four Wandsworth secondary schools and the Wandsworth Performance Troupe.

“I’ve been so excited, I had lots of sleepless nights waiting for this,” added Miriam, 16, who lives in East Putney.

Violinist Candace, 17, who plays with the Wandsworth Philharmonic Orchestra, said it was a “very good experience for all of the musicians to come together”.

“Brighter Sounds represents all of the diversity in music, as well as all ages coming together with music professionals and bringing our hard work to the audience,” she said. 

Local music charity Wandsworth Music worked with 26 borough primary schools to develop the 1,000 strong Wandsworth Vocal Project Choir.

Accompanied by the Wandsworth Philharmonic Orchestra, the choir raised the roof with a medley of uplifting songs from musicians including The Beatles, Wham, and Aretha Franklin.

Power of music to inspire

The power of music to inspire was clear as pupils from five Wandsworth special schools performed their own Wandsworth anthem, in a project named Better Together – which was supported by Wandsworth Council.

The Better Together project saw the schools work alongside Wandsworth’s Inclusive ensemble “BEYOND”, GCSE pupils from Graveney School, and members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Meanwhile, a trip back in time more than 800 years saw the 300 strong massed voices of the Wandsworth Secondary Choir, supported by the National Opera Studio, perform the 13th century poem O Fortuna from Carmina Burana.

The Brighter Sounds concert was held on 31 March and is one of Wandsworth Music’s annual performances showcasing the talents of local young musicians and performers.

Find out more on the Wandsworth Music website

Sign up for the latest London Borough of Culture 2025 news