Opera singer ‘asked to change pro-EU dress as colours were too provocative’

'If you can't enjoy a three hour concert because a performer wears some visible gold stars for three minutes of it, you need to have a word with yourself'

Twitter (Benedict Nelson)

An opera singer was asked to change her dress before performing at London’s Royal Albert Hall because its EU flag colours were deemed “too provocative”.

Prior to Saturday’s event, soprano Anna Patalong posted a photograph on Instagram of her wearing the yellow-and-blue gown, which she paired with a necklace of gold stars.

Patalong captioned the image: “Rocking some EU colours for tonight’s concert”. The singer had been at the Put it to the People march earlier in the day.

However, Patalong later changed into a red ensemble at the request of the concert’s producer, Raymond Gubbay.

The incident subsequently sparked controversy and prompted the singer’s husband, the baritone Benedict Nelson, to post about the incident on Twitter on Monday.

“My wife was asked to change her dress from yellow and blue at the RAH as the colours were too provocative,” Nelson wrote.

He added in separate post: “If you can’t enjoy a three hour concert because a performer wears some visible gold stars for three minutes of it, you need to have a word with yourself.”

Speaking to The Independent, Nelson explains that the experience did not lead to an argument between his wife and Gubbay, describing everyone as “entirely courteous and polite”.

“We don’t blame the Royal Albert Hall in any way,” he added. “They were trying to deal with a difficult situation as best they could. I think five to ten years ago another flag there would not have been controversial and this never would have happened. It’s sad they had to make that decision.”

Nelson pointed out that his wife also wore a union jack-themed dress in the concert. “It was a very subtle and personal homage that went largely unnoticed,” he said.

Gubbay told The Guardian that he made the decision so there was no “misinterpretation of the show trying to take any stance other than delivering great music and great spectacle to the audience".

The Classical Spectacular concert Patalong performed at is described on the Royal Albert Hall’s website as “the most popular classical music show in the UK”.