Bohemian Rhapsody Interpreted By Ballet Duo, Classical Quartet, And Boys Choir For 40th Anniversary [Videos]

The iconic ballad made immortal by Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” just turned 40 and to celebrate, three dynamic groups performed their own interpretations. According to Bravewords, “Bohemian Rhapsody” was reinterpreted by The English National Ballet, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Trinity Boys Choir, and all three performances are breathtaking. ENB soloist James Streeter choreographed the iconic Rhapsody and it was danced by Erina Takahashi and James Forbat. Streeter describes the vision – “As time has passed, Queen and Freddie still live on so strongly in all of us. At the start of the dance, as we stare at what looks like the silhouette of Freddie’s statue, a female appears and as she begins dancing around him, with every touch and the endless desire for Freddie, he is slowly brought back to life.” In the video at the beginning of this article, Streeter talks about how the song means a lot of things to him.

For the classical reinterpretation of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the Royal Academy of Music performed a breathtaking take on the song. An alumnus of the academy, Charlie Piper, composed the arrangement. The Behn Quartet, a string quartet that features final year students of the academy performed the piece. On violin was Kate Oswin and Alicia Berendse, Lydia Abell played the viola, and the cello was played by Ghislaine McMullin. Lydia Abell spoke for the group and said they loved every minute.

“We initially found the challenge of performing a string quartet arrangement of Bohemian Rhapsody quite daunting; it is such an iconic song and so initially it was difficult to know how to approach it, particularly coming from a classical background. But the moment we got in the practice room it was clear that the music had such a universal message and intensity that we could really tap into, and we could hear Freddie Mercury’s voice in our heads as we were playing. We’ve loved every minute of recording Bohemian Rhapsody and being part of such a great project celebrating its legacy.”

The result was simply amazing.

Last but not least, the director of the Trinity Boys Choir, David Swinson, arranged the song for 40 boys from the choir accompanied only by a pianist. The director of the choir said it was a privilege to be invited to perform the song but they also felt the weight of responsibility.

“It is impossible to improve on the original so our intention was to demonstrate our love for the song with our enthusiasm. The lyrics are extraordinarily powerful and thoughtful and we also hope that by having them sung by young voices, they will be heard afresh by audiences.”

The song literally ends on a high note in this interpretation.

The song “Bohemian Rhapsody” turned 40 on October 31 and has continued to be one of the most well-known songs that Freddy Mercury and Queen ever performed. The song was released on the band’s A Night at the Opera album. Ironically, when Queen wanted to release the song, they were told the song was too long and would never be a hit. An article by Performing Songwriter said that “Bohemian Rhapsody” was released by DJ Kenny Everett at Capital Radio. Everett played the song 14 times during the weekend in October, and by Monday morning record stores were jammed with requests for the song. Needless to say, “Bo Rhap” was released in all its glory and no edits. Mercury said, “We were adamant that it could be a hit in its entirety. We have been forced to make compromises, but cutting up a song will never be one of them.”

What do you think about the reinterpretations of the classic Bohemian Rhapsody? Please comment below.

[Image Via YouTube]