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London 2012 Closing Show to Be 'Elegant Mash-Up'

The London 2012 Olympic Games closing ceremony will be "an elegant mash-up of British music" that recognizes the country's long and varied creative heritage, artistic director Kim Gavin said Thursday.

Those fortunate enough to secure tickets for the August 12 show can expect a seamless mix incorporating tunes from cutting edge stars like Adele and Coldplay to classical composers including Elgar and Holst, Gavin revealed.

"We are taking a box of fabulously well-done tunes," he said. "We are putting them together to write one piece of music that is fabulously balanced.

"Usually it is something classical but in this case it is an elegant mash-up of British music. It will not be just about the music but also about what makes Britain great.

"We are trying to introduce something that is an absolute melting pot of British creativity," he added.

The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) -- which will record the main orchestral music for all four London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies -- will perform live at the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium.

More than 4,100 volunteer and youth performers and 250 professionals are scheduled to perform at the ceremony, which is expected to attract an estimated worldwide TV audience of around 750 million.

Gavin earned recognition for his work on Take That's successful comeback shows and the 2007 Princess Diana memorial concert.

Dance act Underworld has been chosen to produce all the music for the opening ceremony.

Source: Agence France Presse


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