Royal wedding cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason breaks new chart record

Royal wedding musician Sheku Kanneh-Mason has set a new record as he is now the highest-charting cellist of all time in the UK.

The 20-year-old classical music star’s new album, Elgar, based on Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto, has debuted at number eight, making it the first to ever break into the top 10, the Official Charts Company said.

He is also the first British classical instrumentalist in more than 30 years to reach the top 10 after violinist Nigel Kennedy released Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in 1989, which peaked at number three.

The new triumph follows the success of Kanneh-Mason’s debut album, Inspiration, which was released a few months before he performed at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018.

The collection entered the chart at number 18, making him the youngest cellist to score an album in the top 20. It went on to peak at number 11 after his appearance at Meghan and Harry’s Windsor ceremony.

Kanneh-Mason told OfficialCharts.com: “I am so excited that my album is in the top 10 of the Official UK Album Chart – thank you, Edward Elgar, for writing such a fantastic piece of music!

“And thank you to Sir Simon Rattle and all the other great artists who feature on the recording too.”

In 2016, Kanneh-Mason became the first black winner of the BBC Young Musician Award.

He has also won two Classic Brit Awards, and he received an MBE in the New Year Honours list for services to music.

This week’s number one album is Lewis Capaldi’s Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, which has risen up the ranks again after topping the charts last year.

The Scottish singer-songwriter denied US pop star Selena Gomez the top spot with her latest release Rare by fewer than 700 chart sales, according to the Official Charts Company.

The new album from Gomez is at number two, making it her best-performing album in the UK.

Last week’s chart-topper, Heavy Is The Head by Stormzy, is at number three, Ed Sheeran’s No.6 Collaborations Project is at number four, and Harry Styles’s Fine Line rounds off the top five.

In the singles chart, Stormzy’s Own it featuring Sheeran and Burna Boy has scored a third week at number one.

Capaldi’s Before You Go is at number two, ahead of new entry Life Is Good by Future featuring Drake, in at number three.

Dua Lipa is at number four with Don’t Start Now and Roddy Ricch is at number five with The Box.