Queen Mary 2 guest choir

Cunard has announced that the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) will return to perform aboard Queen Mary 2 on her 8-15 September 2014 Transatlantic crossing from Southampton to New York. This will be the fifth time the NSO has travelled on Queen Mary 2 in what is fast becoming a highlight in the Cunard year.

The Orchestra performed on a Transatlantic crossing aboard the Cunard flagship just last month under the watchful eye of celebrated Grammy®-nominated British conductor Anthony Inglis. Anthony has performed more times at the Royal Albert Hall than any other conductor and played a key role in the naming ceremonies of each of the three ships that make up the Cunard fleet today.

During the recent crossing, over 150 passengers (including Cruise Critic Editor-in-Chief Carolyn Spencer Brown) volunteered to take part in two choirs under Anthony's direction, rehearsing regularly and then participating in two on board concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra.

During these Last Night of the Cunard Proms concerts – outstanding performances which achieved an approval rating of 99.6 in the passenger Comment Forms – two guest conductors stepped up to take the baton from Anthony Inglis at key moments: Queen Mary 2's Master, Captain Kevin Oprey, and passenger Lord (Mervyn) King, formerly the Governor of the Bank of England.

Publisher Teijo Niemela with conductor Anthony Inglis

Teijo Niemela meets Lord King

"Each time we travel on Queen Mary 2 we raise the roof in the Royal Court Theatre," said Anthony Inglis. "The Orchestra and I are still on a high from last month's sailing and we are counting down the months to September 2014 and our fifth appearance on board Queen Mary 2, the greatest ship in the world, in her tenth anniversary year!"

Queen Mary 2 will be featured in the next issue of Cruise Business Review.