Mild-mannered finance worker Nicholas Bryant, 33, is just one man with a piano ready to play on Britain’s Got Talent… or is he? It turns out that Bryant had a little trick up his sleeve, as after he sat down to play Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” soon a violinist came out onto the stage and played a lovely duet with him. But wait, there’s more, as then another man walked onstage and began conducting a full brass section that emerged from the crowd!
Things were just getting started though, as soon a full string section joined the arrangement, shocking the audience. By this point a full symphony orchestra had joined Bryant onstage, and the song was really cooking. Next up, a large choir began singing the Queen hit from the mezzanine above, putting smiles on everyone’s faces – even Simon Cowell. It’s not a Queen song without some guitar pyrotechnics, so to put the cherry on top, an electric guitarist emerged and shredded like Brian May.
It turns out that the judges had been playfully punked by The Collaborative Orchestra, which is a performance group from London. Aside from the novelty of the surprise orchestra, the arrangement for so many instruments and a full choir was genuinely brilliant, and the group really brought their own style to “Don’t Stop Me Now”.
Fans watching at home loved it, and added comments such as “The coolest audition ever! These flash mob type things always give me goosebumps” and “Absolutely fabulous! Now that was a golden buzzer performance. I love watching this over and over again!” The conductor in particular was a fan favorite, due to his high-energy hijinks, which really sold the performance. Another popular performance from the orchestra was their semifinals appearance, where they performed The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”
The Collaborative Orchestra’s appearance was a big hit on YouTube, gaining 28.7 million views. This made it one of the most popular group performances in the history of Britain’s Got Talent.
The judges gushed about the audition afterward, with Alesha Dixon saying, “Oh my goodness I didn’t know where to look. That was one of the most brilliantly put together performances I’ve ever seen. Fabulous!”
The judges then gave The Collaborative Orchestra four yes votes. The orchestra then progressed to the semifinals, where they made their final appearance in the season 10 competition.
If you would like to learn more about The Collaborative Orchestra, you can visit their [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/thecollaborativeorchestra/?hl=en) or their [Website](https://www.collaborativeorchestra.com/about/) for more incredible music and updates.