Experience BBC Proms in London with "Steve Reich at 90" at Royal Albert Hall. On 2 September 2026, the festival brings together The Gesualdo Six, Colin Currie Group and Reich's Tehillim in a late-night programme without an interval. Plan your visit and ticket purchase
BBC Proms: Steve Reich at 90 - a late-night encounter between Renaissance and minimalism
BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall on 2 September 2026 takes on a different character after the usual evening slots. At 22:15, "Steve Reich at 90" begins, a Late-Night Prom connecting medieval and Renaissance vocal music with Steve Reich's rhythmically precise minimalism. The Gesualdo Six, directed by Owain Park, performs the first part of the programme, while the Colin Currie Group, led by Colin Currie, presents Reich's Tehillim.
The idea of the evening is clear: to show how sacred text, voice, repetition and rhythm can be heard through music created in very distant periods. Instead of a large Romantic orchestra and a concert with an interval, the audience gets a concentrated late-night whole without a break.
BBC Proms 2026 runs for eight weeks, from 17 July to 12 September, and the programme includes 86 concerts and more than 3,000 musicians. This event is part of the wider celebration of Reich's 90th birthday, but the London evening is particularly focused on Tehillim and its relationship with the older sacred vocal tradition.
Tickets for this event are in demand.
A programme connecting centuries without forced crossover
The published programme for the first part leads through several centuries of European sacred music. The Gesualdo Six builds an arc of different ways in which text is transformed into sound, from early polyphonic textures to Renaissance polyphony and the contemporary response of Owain Park.
- Guillaume de Machaut - Messe de Nostre Dame: Kyrie
- Pérotin - Beata viscera
- Johannes Ockeghem - Intemerata Dei mater
- Hildegard von Bingen - O orzchis Ecclesia
- John Dunstable - Veni sancte spiritus / Veni creator spiritus
- Owain Park - Phos hilaron ("Hail, gladdening light")
- Josquin des Prez - O virgo prudentissima
- Steve Reich - Tehillim
The first block lasts about 35 minutes, and Tehillim about 30 minutes. There is no interval between them. The programme is therefore conceived as an uninterrupted late-night journey rather than two separate concert halves. Before Reich's work, the audience coming for Reich will hear music in which syllable, breath, acoustic space and the collective shaping of the voice have already been central ideas for centuries.
Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame and Pérotin's Beata viscera open the programme towards earlier forms of polyphony. Hildegard von Bingen brings a different type of spiritual expressiveness, while Ockeghem, Dunstable and Josquin guide the programme towards Renaissance textures. Park's Phos hilaron places a contemporary work among the older sources, so the transition to Reich does not feel like a sudden leap from the past into contemporary concert language.
Why Tehillim is the centre of the evening
Steve Reich wrote Tehillim in 1981. The title is the Hebrew word for Psalms, and the work uses four passages from the psalms in the original Hebrew. Its duration of approximately 30 minutes is long enough for Reich's recognisable sense of pulse to develop, while the relationship between music and text is more direct than in many of his instrumental scores.
For this evening, the choice is precise. The London Late-Night Prom does not attempt to offer an overview of Reich's entire output, but instead takes a work that naturally converses with what precedes it: sung sacred text, repetition, articulated syllables and rhythm arising from language.
In his note on the work, Reich explains that "Tehillim" literally means "praises". The score is written for voices and ensemble, and the rhythmic energy comes not only from percussion but also from the arrangement of the Hebrew words through the phrases. At the Royal Albert Hall, the focus will therefore be less on the mass of sound and more on precision of pulse, clarity of ensemble and the relationship between voice and the resonance of the space.
The Gesualdo Six: a small vocal ensemble for a large space
The Gesualdo Six is a British vocal ensemble founded in 2014 in Cambridge for a performance of Gesualdo's Tenebrae Responsories. It is directed by composer and conductor Owain Park. The group has developed an international career with performances at major festivals and concert halls, and made its BBC Proms debut in 2023.
The ensemble's repertoire includes Renaissance polyphony as well as contemporary music, so the structure of this Prom is close to the way the group usually builds its programmes. This is also useful for audiences attending an early-music concert for the first time: it is not necessary to know the liturgical context of every motet in advance to hear the difference between more open early lines, denser polyphony and modern vocal harmony.
Owain Park has a dual role here. He directs The Gesualdo Six and is the composer of Phos hilaron, a short contemporary work placed among older composers. The programme therefore does not speak only about "early music" as opposed to Reich, but demonstrates a living practice in which new compositional voices continue to draw on old texts and vocal traditions.
Colin Currie Group and its long relationship with Steve Reich
Colin Currie Group was founded in 2006 to perform Reich's Drumming at the BBC Proms, then marking the composer's 70th birthday. Since then, the group has become one of the ensembles most closely associated with his music, performing his works around the world and participating in world premieres of new scores.
Colin Currie is a percussionist, conductor and founder of the ensemble. For years the group has performed Drumming, Music for 18 Musicians, Sextet, Quartet and Tehillim, and in 2026 it continues a series of projects connected with Reich's 90th birthday.
For the visitor, one simple fact is important: Tehillim is not a work that this ensemble occasionally adds to its repertoire. It belongs to their long-standing work with Reich's musical language, in which rhythmic discipline, shared breath and precise listening are essential.
Royal Albert Hall as part of the experience
Royal Albert Hall opened on 29 March 1871 and today is one of London's key concert halls. Its usual capacity is 5,272 seats, although the exact number varies depending on the configuration of the event. The elliptical auditorium, circular galleries and large dome create a space that has been inseparably associated with the Proms for decades.
For a Late-Night Prom, that space works differently than it does for a monumental symphonic evening. The audience arrives late, the programme is short and there is no interval, while the music moves from an intimate vocal sound towards Reich's motoric energy. The contrast between a small source of sound and a large architectural volume is part of the experience here.
According to currently published information, the doors open at 21:45. For a first visit to the Royal Albert Hall, it is a good idea to arrive early enough for the security check and to find the correct entrance and seat without rushing.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
Ticket format and what to expect on entry
"Steve Reich at 90" is listed as a seated event with reserved seats. This matters because BBC Proms is often associated with the tradition of "Promming" and standing in certain areas of the Royal Albert Hall, but the format of individual events is not always the same. For this event, visitors should follow the information specifically related to this performance.
The ticket is valid for one day, that is, for the specific late-night concert. It is not a pass for the entire festival season, so visitors planning to attend several Proms should treat each event as a separate occasion.
Royal Albert Hall currently allows one bag per person, up to 25 litres and approximately 40 x 30 x 20 cm in size; the bag must fit beneath the seat. Restricted or prohibited items include glass objects, larger umbrellas and certain recording equipment, while bringing in food and drink is restricted, with exceptions for special dietary requirements. Rules may change, so they should be checked again immediately before arrival.
How to get to South Kensington
Royal Albert Hall is located at Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP, on the northern edge of South Kensington, next to Kensington Gardens and London's museum district. For most visitors, public transport is the easiest option.
- South Kensington - District, Circle and Piccadilly lines; the walk to the hall takes approximately 10 minutes.
- High Street Kensington - District and Circle lines; the walk takes approximately 10 minutes.
- Green Park - an option with step-free access from street to train; from there, bus 9 can be taken to the hall.
- Bus routes 9, 23, 52 and 452 stop on Kensington Gore in front of the hall.
Because the concert finishes late, the current evening Transport for London timetable should be checked before departure, especially if a connection is required after 23:00. Visitors arriving by car should expect strict parking restrictions in the surrounding streets. Imperial College's South Kensington campus offers public parking during certain evening periods subject to availability, but availability and operating times should be checked in advance.
Who will particularly enjoy this Prom
First-time BBC Proms visitors get a compact introduction to the festival here. The published works provide around 65 minutes of music, there is no interval and the programme has a clear dramaturgical idea. At the same time, it demonstrates two important sides of the Proms: historical repertoire in a specialist performance and contemporary music presented as part of the same concert culture.
For lovers of choral and early music, the attraction lies in The Gesualdo Six and the sequence of composers from Machaut, Pérotin and Hildegard to Josquin and Park. For audiences coming for minimalism, Tehillim offers Reich performed by an ensemble that has been associated with his music for two decades. For those who know the Royal Albert Hall primarily through large orchestras, the late slot offers a different acoustic perspective on the same space.
This is a concert for audiences who value programmatic connections more than a simple sequence of familiar titles. The progression matters: text, voice, repetition, polyphony, rhythm and finally Reich's pulsating structure.
Practical plan for the evening
The simplest option is to arrive in South Kensington earlier and head towards Kensington Gore so as to reach the hall before the doors open at 21:45. Once inside, there is no need to plan for an interval because the programme runs without a break, and schedules list the finish at approximately 23:30.
The area around the Royal Albert Hall includes the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Royal College of Music, so the visit can be combined with spending the day in this part of London. The late start, however, means it is sensible to plan the return to accommodation before the concert.
Ticket sales for this event are under way.
Sources:
- The Gesualdo Six - programme, date and BBC Proms context: https://www.thegesualdosix.co.uk/bbc-proms-2026/
- The Gesualdo Six - ensemble biography and BBC Proms debut: https://www.thegesualdosix.co.uk/meet-the-team/
- Colin Currie Group - ensemble history and collaboration with Steve Reich: https://www.colincurriegroup.com/colin-currie-group
- Steve Reich - Tehillim, year of composition, duration and text: https://stevereich.com/composition/tehillim/
- Classical Music - BBC Proms 2026 listings, schedule and approximate finishing time: https://www.classical-music.com/bbc-proms/bbc-proms-2026-listings
- Halibuts - seating format, doors opening and duration of programme blocks: https://halibuts.com/events/eventdetail/151817-338815-bbc_proms:_steve_reich_at_90-royal_albert_hall-2-Sep-2026-10.15pm
- Royal Albert Hall Archive - history of the hall and opening date: https://catalogue.royalalberthall.com/Record.aspx?id=RAH&src=CalmView.Catalog
- UK Parliament - Royal Albert Hall Bill, hall capacity: https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/55003/documents/4692
- Royal Albert Hall - Information Guide, address and public transport: https://d117kfg112vbe4.cloudfront.net/public/Royal-Albert-Hall-DAMS/Website-Documents/Engagement-Resources-PUBLIC/Information-Guide-for-Friendship-Matinee-Carols-at-the-Hall-1.pdf?id=3473&token=e909436b&type=file
- Royal Albert Hall - Prohibited Items, rules for bags and bringing in items: https://d117kfg112vbe4.cloudfront.net/public/Royal-Albert-Hall-DAMS/Website-Documents/Misc-website-PDFs-PUBLIC/Prohibited-Items-List-V.14-AF-edits-1.pdf?id=4296&token=3a652556&type=file
- Imperial College London - evening parking at the South Kensington campus: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/admin-services/property/travel/car-parking/