Alfie Boe: who is his wife, how old is he and when will Sarah Brightman duet for God Save the Queen be out?

Two of the country’s most well-known classical singers are teaming up to release a new version of the national anthem in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Alfie Boe and Sarah Brightman will record God Save The Queen, along with The NHS Voices of Care Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Boe announced that the song is being released to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s historic 70 year reign on the throne on BBC’s The One Show.

So, what did Boe say on the One Show, when will the song be released and just who are Alfie Boe and Sarah Brightman?

Here’s what you need to know.

What did Alfie Boe and Sarah Brightman say on the One Show?

Tenor Boe, 48, and soprano Brightman, 61, appeared on BBC’s The One Show on Tuesday 17 May to announce the launch of their version of the national anthem.

Boe said: “We were approached by record companies to do it together, to launch the single of God Save our Gracious Queen, our national anthem, to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.”

Brightman said that the proceeds from the single will be donated to the British Red Cross, of which the Queen is a patron.

She said: “It’s for, what I’m told is, one of the Queen’s favourite charities, which is the British Red Cross, which helps people in crisis all over the world. They’re an amazing charity.”

She added: “What’s so lovely is it’s for an amazing woman who has reigned for so long and done such an amazing job and worked so hard.

“I feel very, very proud, and I know Alfie does, to be British because of her.

“It’s been such a pleasure to do and we’ve had fun putting it all together with wonderful producers and everybody on the record.”

What do we know about the new version of God Save the Queen?

The new record will be a double-A-side, with the duet of God Save the Queen sung by Boe and Brightman on the A-side and the original recording of the song from the Queen’s coronation on the B-side.

The recording of the BBC’s broadcast of the coronation service from Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 was taken by means of a direct line to Abbey Road Studios in London.

The song was first released on LP in 1953 and later reissued on CD in 1997.

When will God Save the Queen be released?

The single will be released on Friday 27 May and will be available to download on iTunes, Amazon Music and across selected digital streaming platforms.

The CD single will be available to buy on Amazon, as well as in supermarkets and other retailers.

Who is Alfie Boe?

Alfie Boe, whose full name is Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, is a tenor and actor.

Boe, 48, previously performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace in 2012.

He is most well known for performing in musical theatre, and he has sold more than one million albums in the UK.

He is best known for his role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on the West End, and has previously appeared on two ITV shows; Mr Selfridge and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

Boe was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.

Alfie Boe was previously married to wife Sarah Boe for 16 years, but the couple announced their split in 2020. The couple share two children,  Alfred Robert Boe and Grace Boe.

At the time he released a statement to confirm they had separated.

He added: “I have nothing but love and respect for Sarah. She’s been an incredible partner and an amazing mother to our two beautiful children and everything is very amicable.”

Who is Sarah Brightman?

Sarah Brightman, 61, is a classical crossover soprano singer and actress.

She starred in several West End and Broadway musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera.

Her original London cast album of Phantom sold 40 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling cast album ever.

She has established herself as the world’s best-selling soprano singer, and also pioneered the classical crossover music movement.

She is also famed for having a vocal range of over three octaves, and has performed in theatres, arenas, cathedrals, world heritage centres and Olympic stadiums worldwide.

She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire in 2018, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to music and theatre.