British Airways’ customers arriving at London-Heathrow Terminal 5 on Monday were treated to a spontaneous vocal performance by company colleagues. The choir was trained by Richard Beadle, Hamilton’s Musical Director at London’s West End Theatre.
As British Airways’ centenary year ends, they wanted to thank and surprise customers with a festive impromptu Christmas choir recital. The group of British Airways colleagues were trained by Hamilton’s Musical Director Richard Beadle of London’s West End Theatre who created a flying rendition of the quintessential Christmas carol “Deck the Halls” for the occasion. On Monday, passengers at London-Heathrow’s Terminal 5 arrivals were surprised and delighted by the performance. The 15 person choir rehearsed for weeks, working around their day job schedules across British Airways and included cabin crew, and engineer, pilot and head office colleagues. Musical Director and Composer, Richard Beadle said,
I was amazed by the dedication and talent of the British Airways choir. They really put their all into creating an amazing performance for their customers. Working in West End theatre, we are used to training sessions, followed by dress rehearsals, followed by live performances; it’s a very tiring process. Some of the British Airways choir swapped their day-jobs of flying a plane or servicing aircraft, to performing in this choir, all without breaking a sweat. If any of them fancy a career change, they definitely have a place on my stage!”
The impromptu performance is kicked off by British Airways’ cabin crew member Pippa Roblin who surprised arriving passengers from international destinations such as Japan and the U.S. as they collected their luggage. Soon, Pippa is joined by colleagues Peter Gentry, Xander Bird and Vicki Garson, the star alto who just stepped off a flight where she served as a cabin crew member. The performers then move from Terminal 5 baggage claim to the arrivals hall where they join the rest of the choir, charming reuniting families and friends.
More than a million customers will fly British Airways over the festive holiday season. Some of the most popular long-haul destinations are New York, Los Angeles, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Paris is the busiest short-haul route during the season with many travelers choosing to celebrate Christmas Day and New Years in the city of light. British Airways’ award-winning cabin crew will serve over 100,000 traditional Christmas dinners composed of 450,000 brussels sprouts, 360,00 roast potatoes, 11,000 kilograms of turkey and 135,000 mince pies. The airline will also feature over 50 hours of holiday programming on their IFE system including favorites such as Home Alone, The Holiday, Elf, Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special and the Nutcracker audio book. Commenting on the airline’s holiday touches, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, Carolina Martinoli said,
We’re proud to fly our customers to every corner of the globe to reunite them with friends and family during such an important time of the year. We hope they enjoy the Christmas touches we have brought to their flights – helping our customers and colleagues get in the festive spirit.”
British Airways’ customers will also notice additional holiday flourishes such as colleagues wearing Christmas attire and accessories, decorated aircraft and seasonal songs at 35,000 feet. British Airways is bringing Christmas to their guests in a big way during their centenary year, and we wouldn’t expect anything less from the airline that is based in the land of Charles Dickens.
Source: British Airways