Jake Shears to appear at BBC Proms with Rufus Wainwright live on Radio 3

Jake Shears will make his BBC Proms debut for Want Two at the Royal Albert Hall.

The singer, musician and former Scissor Sisters frontman will join Rufus Wainwright alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra led by conductor Sarah Hix at the event on Tuesday 5 September at 10.15pm.

Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright is returning to the BBC Proms for two concerts on the same name night: the Want Symphonic – Want One and Want Two.

Marking 20 years since the release of his album Want One, which draws on everything from opera to cabaret, chanson and jazz, these will be world premiere performances of the two concerts with new orchestral arrangements created especially for the Proms. Jake Shears will appear to duet the song Old Whore’s Diet with Rufus Wainwright.

The Prom will be live on BBC Radio 3 and available on BBC Sounds for one month after.

Rufus Wainwright says: “I have known Jake for my entire career. He actually gave me the Scissor Sisters’ tape with some of their early demos and asked me for advice and then they became bigger than anything I had ever heard of.

“I have always admired Jake for his musical vision and I am so excited that we finally get the chance to properly sing together and sing a song of mine that I think we both can relate to very well.”

Jake Shears adds: “It’s hard to believe we’ve never properly sung together, but I can finally say we ARE!  I am joining my dear friend Rufus Wainwright at this year’s BBC Proms at the incredible Royal Albert Hall for a duet we can’t wait to share with you all.”