Cello Solo: Harry And Meghan's Wedding

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was filled with music. One of the most memorable performances was by the cellist, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who stole hearts with his talent and looks. The then 19-year-old rising star in the UK classical world played three pieces during the ceremony, including Schubert's Ave Maria, captivating the 600 guests in attendance and a worldwide audience of around 2 billion.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason's career after the wedding

The career of Sheku Kanneh-Mason, the cellist at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, has soared since his performance at the royal wedding in 2018. Kanneh-Mason's performance was broadcast to an estimated 2 billion viewers worldwide, and he has since become a global icon in high demand in various venues around the world.

In 2022, Kanneh-Mason toured six Australian cities with his family, including a performance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and continues to collaborate with his siblings, particularly his sister Isata, a pianist. Kanneh-Mason has expressed a preference for chamber music and playing with orchestras, and he has performed with the Chineke! Orchestra, which was founded for black and minority ethnic classical musicians.

Kanneh-Mason has released two albums with Decca Classics: "Elgar" in 2020 and "Muse" in 2021, the latter a duet album with his sister Isata. His first full-length album, "Inspiration," was released in 2018 and became the biggest-selling British debut of the year to date, entering the UK Albums Chart at number 18 and achieving number one on the UK classical albums chart.

In addition to his musical achievements, Kanneh-Mason was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to music. He has also lent his support to various charities and organisations, including donating £3,000 to his former secondary school to enable other pupils to continue their cello lessons. He has also supported the charities Music Masters and Future Talent and the organisation Black Lives in Music.

Kanneh-Mason's family and upbringing

The Kanneh-Masons are a family of seven siblings, six of whom competed on Britain's Got Talent in 2015 as The Kanneh-Masons. They are Isata (27), Braimah (25), Sheku, Konya (22), Jeneba (21), Aminata (17), and Mariatu (13). They were raised in Nottingham, England, by their parents, Stuart Mason and Dr Kadiatu Kanneh. Both parents played musical instruments in their childhood but never pursued music professionally. Kadiatu was born in Sierra Leone and used to lecture in literature at the University of Birmingham. Stuart, whose family is from Antigua, was born in London and works for a luxury hotel chain.

All seven siblings are exceptionally talented musicians. Sheku, who is a cellist, became a household name after playing at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. He has since recorded acclaimed albums, toured the world, and graced the cover of GQ. Isata, the eldest, is a pianist who signed to Decca and debuted at the top of the UK Official Classical Artist Chart with her album Romance. Braimah, who is a violinist, has appeared on The X Factor and Top of the Pops and recorded with the band Clean Bandit. Konya is a pianist and violinist, and Jeneba, who is also a pianist, has performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, Ravel's Piano Concerto, Saint-Saëns' Concerto No. 2, and Florence Price's Piano Concerto in One Movement. Aminata is a pupil at Trinity Catholic School in Nottingham and studies the violin, and Mariatu, the youngest, attends the same school and has achieved Grade 8 Distinction on the cello and piano.

In 2019, the entire family played on stage at the Royal Variety Performance, and in 2020, they recorded their first album together, Carnival. The album features melodies by Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky, and Eric Whitacre, alongside the voice of leading actor Olivia Colman reading poems by Michael Morpurgo. The family has also presented their first-ever radio series on Classic FM, sharing their favourite musical memories and the classical music that has inspired them.

The pieces he played at the wedding

The royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry featured a performance by the 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who played three pieces during the ceremony:

• Paradis' Sicilienne
• Faure's Apres un reve
• Schubert's Ave Maria

The first two pieces were chosen by Sheku himself, as they were pieces he had "always loved for a very long time". The final piece, Schubert's Ave Maria, was chosen by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Sheku described the experience as "amazing" and said he was "bowled over" when Ms Markle called him to ask if he would play during the ceremony. He also noted that it was a "privilege" to be able to play the cello at such a wonderful event.

The cellist's inspiration

Sheku Kanneh-Mason, the cellist who played at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has cited several inspirations for his musical career. Kanneh-Mason, who was just 19 at the time of the wedding, is a classically trained musician and has been playing the cello since he was six years old. He was the first Black musician to win the BBC Young Musician of the Year award in 2016.

Kanneh-Mason has credited his family as a source of inspiration, particularly his parents and siblings, who are also musically talented. He has also mentioned the importance of having role models who share a similar background, and has expressed his desire to inspire young people from diverse backgrounds to pursue classical music. Kanneh-Mason has been inspired by the cellist Jacqueline du Pré, whose recordings and videos he has studied.

In addition to classical music, Kanneh-Mason draws inspiration from a range of musical genres. His debut album, "Inspiration," included a classical cello cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry," reflecting his appreciation for Marley's music, which he grew up listening to. Kanneh-Mason has also been influenced by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich and has included his compositions in his performances and albums.

Kanneh-Mason's passion for music education is another driving force behind his career. He has highlighted the value of music in schools and has donated funds to support music teaching in his former school. He believes that music is an important means of self-expression and a way to understand the lives of composers, connecting life and music in a special way.

The impact of his performance on social media

The social media reaction to Sheku Kanneh-Mason's performance at the royal wedding was overwhelmingly positive. On Twitter, he was lovingly dubbed "Cello Bae" thanks to his looks, talent, and his "cello face".

Kanneh-Mason's performance was described as the "musical triumph of the wedding", with social media users going into overdrive about the cellist. Kanneh-Mason's own tweet about the event was also well-received, with the musician describing the atmosphere as "amazing" and that he was proud to have played a small part in the celebrations.

The performance had a huge impact on Kanneh-Mason's career, bringing his music to an audience of 2 billion people. Since then, his career has "soared" and "skyrocketed", with the cellist performing with orchestras around the world.

Frequently asked questions