Joanna Lumley is joining up with the London Mozart Players for a special online performance of Saint-Saëns’s The Carnival of the Animals.

The actress will be narrating new poetry, written by one of the orchestra's violinists Martin Smith, as part of what's being called 'a family-friendly collaborative performance' of Saint-Saëns’s classic work, which will also feature animated illustrations by designer Cat Fuller. The performance is set for broadcast at 10am (BST) on Friday, April 24 on LMP’s Facebook and YouTube accounts.

'It is times like these where music is more important than ever. I love the brilliance and charm of The Carnival of the Animals, and am thrilled to be performing with the London Mozart Players for the first time,' said Lumley.

The performance is part of an initiative by the London Mozart Players call ‘At Home with LMP’, which has so far featured a Facebook-live broadcast with classical guitarist Craig Ogden. It's also included a collaboration with young British Composer Alex Woolf, winner of BBC Young Composer of the Year 2012, who has written a series of ‘Homespun Miniatures’ for LMP players to record in their own homes.

The first of Woolf's composition, ‘Duet No 1’, had its premiere on Channel 4 News last week by LMP leader Simon Blendis and his wife Saoko Blendis. The second, ‘Duet No 2’ for violin and cello, will be going live on Wednesday, April 29. It's a fitting collaboration as Woolf (whose setting of O vos omnes featured in an Editor's Choice-winning release by St John's College, Cambridge last year) was first inspired to take up composition aged 11 after encountering an LMP outreach project in 2006. Other highlights include a performance by saxophonist Jess Gillam on Wednesday, May 6. For more information see: At Home with LMP. 

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