Brighter Days
Artist
EMELI SANDÉ
Emeli Sandé, a singer/songwriter with a diverse musical background, gained fame in the UK with her debut album Our Version of Events (2012). The album, which spawned four Top Ten pop singles and led to the number two hit Long Live the Angels (2016), was a chart-topping success. Sandé also featured on Chipmunk’s “Diamond Rings” and David Guetta’s “What I Did for Love.” She signed a publishing deal with EMI and later appeared on albums by Tinie Tempah, Professor Green, and Devlin. In 2011, she won awards for Best Breakthrough Act at the BRITs and MOBO Awards. In 2013, she released Our Version of Events: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, followed by Long Live the Angels (2016) and Real Life (2019). Sandé’s career has been marked by guest appearances, collaborations, and a focus on whole-hearted material. Her latest album, Let’s Say for Instance (2022), showcases her versatility in the music industry.
JOOLS HOLLAND
Jools Holland, gained fame as a keyboardist with the group Squeeze between 1974 and 1980. He later presented The Tube, a major pop music series of the 1980s. The Tube featured live bands, interviews, and occasional comedy turns, making it one of the new channel’s biggest successes. Holland branched out into other areas of television, mainly within the realm of music, with documentaries such as Walking to New Orleans, Mister Roadrunner, The Beatles Anthology, Beat Route, and Jools Holland’s Piano. He also hosted music-themed panel games Juke Box Jury and Name That Tune. Holland’s major contribution to television began in 1992 with the music show, Later with Jools Holland, which offered an eclectic mix of musical styles from around the world. The series also gave birth to the annual New Year Hootenanny. In 2003, he was awarded an OBE.
Choir
GeO GOSPEL CHOIR
The GeO Gospel Choir is a Scottish Family-run brand hosting an assembly of the UK’s most talented voices. The Choir is led by Gerad McArthur and his younger siblings Alexandra and Paul. The siblings are all from Stirling and were born with a passion for singing and performing. All three have performed all over the world in touring productions, West-End shows and onboard luxury cruise ships. However are 18 years working in the entertainment industry, choir director and oldest sibling Gerad, decided to start a new adventure and GeO Gospel Choir was born. In 2018 they worked hard and built up their team in both London and Scotland.
Producer
Keys & Bass Player
Strings
JAMES REYNOLDS
James started his music career working in the studio behind the scenes with many of the UK’s biggest house DJs in the 90’s. Since then, has been writing and producing music for over 20 years and is one of the UK’s most respected and successful mixers.
Michele Chiavarini
Michele Chiavarini is a multi-instrumentalist composer, songwriter, producer, remixer, session musician, arranger, and sound designer with over 25 years of experience. He has worked with various music genres and has written extensively for film, television, and advertising. Michele is the founder of record label Spry Records and has become a voting member of the Grammys since 2021. He has recorded for various artists, including Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, and many more. Michele has also worked with DJ Spen and Quantize Recordings, releasing numerous records and scoring several #1 singles.
Pete Whitfield
Pete studied violin and composition at the Royal College of Music. A head immersed in pop, and a fascination for writing and arranging, have lead him to create string arrangements for the big names in music – Olly Murs, Robbie Williams, One Direction, Mabel, Jonas Blue, Tom Jones, Boy George and many more. Pete lives in the blue half of Manchester.