The 50th anniversary of Mike Oldfield's groundbreaking 1973 debut album Tubular Bells will be celebrated with a new live tour of the seminal work around the UK on February and March.
An extension of the orchestral shows that took place earlier this year, conductor Robin Smith, a long-term collaborator with Oldfield, who worked on the 1992 performance of Tubular Bells II at Edinburgh Castle and also the London Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2012.
“Along with the musicians, I'm really thrilled to be offering this beautiful re-imagined version of Tubular Bells to a wider audience up and down the country," says Smith. "It was premiered at the Royal Festival Hall in August 2021 to great acclaim, as an early celebration of Mike Oldfield’s stunning work - so to be touring the UK in the 50th year is a huge privilege for me and a perfect tribute to one of England’s greatest composers.
"The wonderful thing about Tubular Bells is that it never seems to age, the actual composition is just perfect and is as spell-binding now as it was 50 years ago. It incorporates so many things - folk and rock, blues and jazz which evoke such melodic beauty and drama."
The band will also feature guitarist, Jay Stapley who also performed at the Edinburgh Tubular Bells II concert, which will feature as well as a performance of Tubular Bells, others Oldfield works such as Moonlight Shadow, Ommadawn and Summit Day.
Tickets go on sale from 10am on Friday October 14.
The Tubular Bells The 50th Anniversary Celebration UK Tour dates:
Feb 3: Cardiff St. David’s
Feb 5: Brighton Dome Concert Hall
Feb 8: Bristol Hippodrome
Feb 9: Poole Lighthouse
Feb 10: Guildford G Live
Feb 11: Exeter Great Hall
Feb 13: Birmingham New Alexandra
Feb 14: Buxton Opera House
Feb 15: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Feb 16: Gateshead Sage
Feb 18: Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Feb 19: Leicester De Montford Hall
Feb 24: Basingstoke Anvil
Mar 2: Oxford New Theatre
Mar 3: Portsmouth Guildhall
Mar 4: Torquay Princess Theatre
Mar 6: Edinburgh Festival Theatre
Mar 7: Glasgow King’s Theatre
Mar 8: Perth Concert Hall
Mar 10: Coventry Warwick Arts Centre
Mar 11: Ipswich Regent
Mar 12: High Wycombe Swan
Mar 14: Manchester Palace Theatre
Mar 15: Reading Hexagon
Mar 18: Stockton Globe
Mar 19: Chester Storyhouse
Mar 20: Llandudno Venue Cymru
Mar 24: Swansea Arena
Mar 29: Harrogate Royal Hall
Mar 30: Sheffield City Hall
Mar 31: Bath Forum
