Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor took part in a special performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Saturday, September 13. May and Taylor joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the BBC Singers and the National Youth Choir for a dynamic orchestral version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” in honor of the classic Queen anthem’s 50th anniversary.
The performance was part of the Last Night of the Proms event, marking the end of the 2025 edition of the annual BBC Proms classical music celebration. The concert aired live on the U.K.’s BBC Radio 3 channel, and also was shown on BBC television.
Prior to the show, May and Taylor issued the following joint statement about the event: “What a splendid way to celebrate a Queen masterpiece in its 50th year: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ performed with a 100-piece BBC Symphony Orchestra and a choir of over 150 singers … on the most prestigious night of the year in The Royal Albert Hall. [Late Queen singer] Freddie [Mercury] will be loving it!”
The orchestral rendition “Bohemian Rhapsody” featured a new arrangement by Stuart Morley, whose credits include serving as musical director of the Queen musical We Will Rock You.
The main lead vocals of the performance were delivered by British-Nigerian theater actor and tenor Sam Oladeinde, and award-winning British soprano Louise Alder. May hit the stage about halfway through the rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” to deliver a majestic guitar solo. Taylor smashed a gong at the end of the song.
The live performance also featured an audio snippet of Mercury singing the final line of the tune.
Brian May’s Post-Performance Comments
After the event, May posted a statement on his social media pages expressing his feelings about the performance.
“I’m very proud of my dear friend Stuart Morley, who delivered what should stand for all time as the definitive orchestral arrangement of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’” Brian wrote. “And proud of the entire Proms ensemble for delivering it with such passion – including our magnificent soloists—Sam Oladeinde, Louise Alder, and [trumpet player] Alison Balsom. And special honours to awesome conductor of the whole evening [Elim Chan]—what a truly amazing woman!”
He continued, “There are some nice Easter eggs hidden in here—including Freddie’s sung line—did anybody notice that, in the moment? You all noticed Roger, of course! … I’m proud that I persuaded him to do it—it was a hard decision for him because there was no way to incorporate his full kit in that staging. Proud of him because he made that gong talk! And transformed a mighty moment into a splendidly mighty moment!”
May added that the performance was “completely and utterly live and dangerous … very much in tune with traditional QUEEN values!!! … VIVA LIVE MUSIC for all! VIVA THE PROMS!”
More About “Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Bohemian Rhapsody” which was written by Mercury, is an epic six-minute suite that blends progressive rock with classical music influences. The song was released as single in the U.K. in October 1975 and in the U.S. in December 1975. It also appeared on Queen’s fourth studio album, A Night at the Opera.
In the U.K., “Bohemian Rhapsody” topped the singles chart for nine consecutive weeks in late 1975 and early ’76. The song returned to No. 1 on the chart for five more weeks following Mercury’s death in 1991. In the U.S., “Bohemian Rhapsody” initially peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1992, it reached No. 2 on the chart after it was featured in the popular comedy film Wayne’s World.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” is widely considered one of the greatest classic rock songs of all time. In 2004, it was indicted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2022 it was chosen by the Library of Congress for induction into the National Recording Registry. The song was certified Diamond by the RIAA for more than 10 million equivalent sales in the U.S.
