Sky Arts transforms Hyde Park's Speakers’ Corner into Singers’ Corner to celebrate new show Anyone Can Sing
Sky Arts transforms Hyde Park's Speakers’ Corner into Singers’ Corner to celebrate new show Anyone Can Sing
Historic space will act as a sanctuary for singers with Myleene Klass and Nicky Spence officially unveiling the rebranded soapbox
London’s Hyde Park is today undergoing a cultural transformation as Speakers’ Corner – the famous haven for free speech – rebrands to Singers’ Corner in a bid by Sky Arts to encourage more Brits to belt out a tune, whatever their ability.
Singers’ Corner was officially opened this morning by music and singing supremo Myleene Klass and English National Opera and Royal Opera House tenor Nicky Spence, to mark the launch of new show Anyone Can Sing on Sky Arts on 30th March.
Research from Sky Arts shows that eight in 10 adults across the country enjoy singing out loud, with more than half (54 per cent) of those who enjoy bursting into song saying it makes them feel happy and relieves stress. However, more than half of those surveyed admitted to not being able to hold a tune – so members of the public are invited to come down to Singers’ Corner in Hyde Park today and take to the platform to give their vocal chords a good flex, no matter their singing capability.
With two thirds (65 per cent) of Brits wishing they could sing better, Nicky Spence will be on hand throughout the day to provide free masterclasses to help aspiring singers add some vibrato to their vocals.
Myleene Klass, who stunned in a floor length red dress by British designer Rene K Couture at Singers’ Corner this morning said: "Regardless of your ability, singing is exhilarating, de-stressing and can act as a brilliant mood and confidence booster. It helps us stand tall, breathe deeply and most importantly, have fun. That’s why I’m inviting everyone to come and belt out a tune at Singers’ Corner today to discover all the feel-good joys of singing.”
Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts added: “When I was at Primary School and tried to get into the school choir I was told my voice wasn’t good enough and I needed to mime. I haven’t sung since – until now. Anyone Can Sing aims to unlock the vocalist inside us all regardless of ability – it’s all about the joy of the voice and we invite anyone who wants to sing to come and join us to give it a go!”
Anyone Can Sing follows six discordant participants as they discover all the joys of singing, building the skills and confidence they need to perform to a live audience in just three months. The English National Opera’s world-class vocal coaches – Nicky Spence, Sarah Pring and Michael Harper – mentor the would-be singers throughout the process with the help of singing superstars such as Katherine Jenkins along the way.
Anyone Can Sing will air on Sky Arts, Freeview Channel 11, and streaming service NOW every Wednesday at 8pm from 30th March.
Notes to editors
- Research of 2,000 adults conducted by OnePoll in March 2022
- Screeners for Anyone Can Sing can be found on Sky Media Village here
- Stills for Anyone Can Sing can be found on SEAC here
- For live updates from Singers’ Corner, please follow @SkyTV on Instagram and Twitter
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Sky Arts exists to bring more art to more people across the UK. In 2020, with the creative industries under serious threat, we threw open our doors to make the channel free for everyone to watch. We’ve redoubled our mission to increase access to the arts and we’re committed to getting everyone involved as the industry recovers. The fact is, we need the arts now like never before, and Sky Arts brings them straight to your living room.
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