Following the overwhelming success of their debut UK tours in 2024 & 2025 – including a sold-out West End show at the Adelphi Theatre – The Van Morrison Alumni Band returns in January 2026 with a brand-new run of London shows, to honour the music and legacy of Sir Van Morrison at the stunning Emerald Theatre, on London’s Embankment.
This incredible residency – curated and led by renowned saxophonist and broadcaster Leo Green – offers fans a new way to connect with classic songs from the Van Morrison catalogue. Including all the hits and fan favourites along with a treasure trove of rarely-performed gems from Van’s extraordinary catalogue – The Van Morrison Alumni Band offers the ultimate live experience.
The musicians, who recorded and toured with Van across the globe and contributed to seven of his albums, deliver an authentic and emotionally charged celebration of one of the greatest songwriters of our time.
The Van Morrison Alumni Band is a group of all-star musicians, who have between them accompanied Van Morrison in more than 3000 concerts around the world and have amassed more than 500
recordings credits on the singer’s albums dating back several decades and include:
Leo Green (Sax)
Matt Holland (Trumpet)
Alec Dankworth & Steve Pearce (Bass)
Robin Aspland (Piano)
Geoff Dunn (Drums)
and will be joined by: Matt White (Guitar),
Hayley Sanderson (Vocals) Natalie May Paris (Vocals) Roo Savill (Vocals) and others.
Review by Stephen Gilchrist
My bad. Sir George Ivan “Van” Morrison rather passed me by in my youth and later although he was of my generation- albeit I am not quite as old as he is! After the 60s, theatre music rather took over my consciousness. As I say, my bad. Why so? I’ll tell you. It’s because I had the best time at the Emerald Theatre when a superb band of musicians, who between them have accompanied Van Morrison more than 3,000 times live in concert, as well as amassing a staggering 600 recording credits with him, entertained us royally.
The band, curated and led by saxophonist and broadcaster Leo Green (son of the late great Benny Green, the British jazz saxophonist and known for his radio shows and books) with Matt Holland (Trumpet) Alec Dankworth & Steve Pearce (Bass) Robin Aspland (Piano) and Geoff Dunn (Drums). Green and Holland ( the latter both on trumpet and flugelhorn) are particularly special. Green and Holland hip hop around the stage of the Emerald Theatre as they play, much more so than is good for them at their age!
This party was non-stop music for two and half hours (with interval), thankfully with little jibber-jabber in between the numbers apart from some warm, loving memories. The new £2 million redeveloped Emerald at the foot of the north side of Waterloo Bridge, with its Art Deco glamour, its welcoming super- comfortable smoky nightclub setting, plush velvet, cocktail bars, and state-of-the-art acoustics, a terrific bank of moving stage lighting, with heads that pan and tilt, featuring built-in gobos, colour wheels, and zooms, provides a perfect presentation for this set.
The gig set was vocalised by a clutch of outstanding singers, principally among these being Wayne Hernandez a smouldering soul and jazz singer, Hayley Sanderson, and Jess Greenfield, all of whom have enviable past credits in music and theatre. Van Morrison wrote in excess of 1000 songs and 50+ albums , arranging them himself and this show gave us a dizzying selection of the catalogue including the hits and fan favourites ( including Moondance and Brown Eyed Girl) along with a handful of rarely performed numbers.
When I say this band really rocked- I mean it. There was a love, a joie de vivre, an enthusiasm and a sort of kinetic energy to the evening with its sensational musical arrangements, led by brass and woodwind, which embraced and thrilled the audience and proved an utterly joyful evening. I cane away thinking someone should write a jukebox musical based on Morrison’s catalogue!
Ok- this was not ‘theatre.’ It was an event, a gig, but one which I would happily revisit. The band has a weekly residency on Tuesdays though to 24th. March. Go! You won’t regret it!
Photo credit Justin Sutcliffe
The Van Morrison Alumni Band
London Residency
Emerald Theatre
8 Victoria Embankment, London WC2R 2AB
Residency Dates:
Tuesday January 13
Tuesday January 20
Tuesday January 27
Tuesday February 3
Tuesday February 10
Tuesday February 17
Tuesday February 24
Tuesday March 3
Tuesday March 10
Tuesday March 17
Tuesday March 24
Show runs
7.30pm – 9.50pm
Tickets: from £35
Tickets On-Sale Now Via:
thevanmorrisonalumniband.com