Electric Proms

One of the most successful musicians and flamboyant showmen of all time, Elton John has won a multitude of awards from Brits, Grammys, Golden Globes to Oscars. For this special event two pianos took centre stage. One for Elton, and the other, for an artist who inspired Elton as a young musician; singer songwriter Leon Russell. Leon has written classic songs such as This Masquerade and Delta Lady, as well as working with legends of popular music like The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones. Russell and Elton first worked together and toured the US in the early 1970s, but lost touch for many years. Then last November Elton, Leon, Bernie Taupin and producer T Bone Burnett started collaborating in an L.A. studio on a new album, The Union. Making the new record, Elton told Mojo magazine in August, "made me fall in love with a guy I fell in love with years ago,all over again". As well as looking back at his roots, Elton's looked ahead by bringing on board two exciting new names, Plan B and Rumer to perform alongside him. The show was broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 at 20:00 and then shown on BBC Two on Saturday 30 October, together with an exclusive documentary about his music and life. An inspiring and emotional demonstration of poignant songwriting performed at its best.

Robert Plant has enjoyed great solo success since the 1980s, and recently won five Grammy Awards for the album Raising Sand, in which he collaborated with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss. Although best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the phenomenally successful rock band Led Zeppelin, Plant's Electric Proms performance concentrated on his personal musical influences: ranging from Delta blues through to rock, and the native sounds of Africa. He was joined on stage by rock group Band Of Joy including vocalist Patty Griffin (the band name itself is recycled from Plant's own pre-Zeppelin group, formed in the mid-1960s) and The London Oriana Choir. The set featured a number of much-loved Led Zeppelin and solo numbers together with eclectic new material from his latest critically acclaimed release, Band of Joy.