MINI horn ensemble takes to the stage.

London. The eyes of the world were focused on London as Great Britain celebrated the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. And “God Save the Queen” is the message once again as the British capital looks ahead to its next major event from late July to early September. Just a few weeks before the world’s leading athletes go head-to-head in London, MINI UK and the London Philharmonic Orchestra got together to give the British national anthem a rather unusual twist. Nine professional members of the renowned orchestra and the horns of nine MINI London 2012 special-edition models duly joined forces for the job in hand. The result was a rousing performance which will provide a musical fillip for the British Olympic team as they launch their bid for medals in the most important sporting event of the year. MINI fans for whom the British premium small car is not only a cult object but also a cultural ambassador may like to hum their approval.

Pre-performance coordination and the dextrous touch of the experienced musicians ensured the MINI cars produced a suitably harmonious sound. Under the guiding hand of conductor Gareth Newman, the orchestra musicians – who provide a feast for the ears with trumpets, trombones and clarinets in their day jobs – also hit all the right notes for the MINI horn ensemble. “It’s the first time that we’ve attempted to play a piece using just car horns as instruments, and it was a fun and unique experience for us as musicians,” said Newman after the recording, which can be found on the internet at http://tinyurl.com/cwjwwbk.