Gospel choir to sing at wedding of UK Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

[April 25, 2018]  LONDON (Reuters) - A Christian gospel choir and a teenage cellist will provide some of the music at the wedding of Britain's Prince Harry and his American fiancee Meghan Markle next month, Kensington Palace said on Tuesday.

Harry, 33, and Markle, 36, will tie the knot at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, with a reception at Queen Elizabeth's home west of London afterwards.

"Both Prince Harry and Ms Markle have taken a great deal of interest and care in choosing the music for their service, which will include a number of well-known hymns and choral works," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir, a gospel group based in southeast England, will be among those performing at the ceremony.

Conductor Gibson said they were honored and excited to have been picked. "It will be a moment that we will always treasure," she said.

Teenage cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who won the BBC Young Musician 2016 competition, will also perform after Harry saw him play at a charity event last June.

"I was bowled over when Ms. Markle called me to ask if I would play during the ceremony, and of course I immediately said yes," the 19-year-old said. "What a privilege to be able to play the cello at such a wonderful event. I can't wait."

The choir from St George's chapel, which dates its origins back to 1348, an orchestra made up of musicians from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the English Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the State Trumpeters will also be among those providing music for the ceremony.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)

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