John Owen-Jones, Hannah Waddingham and Mike Jibson in Leslie Bricusse Concert

West End stars John Owen-Jones, Hannah Waddingham and Mike Jibson join Sir Michael Parkinson who is presenting a special Friday Night is Music Night celebrating the 80th year of Leslie Bricusse on BBC Radio 2 on December 23rd at 8:00 pm.

Although best known for his partnership with Anthony Newley, Bricusse has worked with many other composers. Sammy Davis Jr. had hits with  What Kind of Fool Am I? (Stop the World - I Want to Get Off) and Candy Man (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory). Other recording artists who have recorded his songs songs include Matt Monro and Frank Sinatra (My Kind of Girl), Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger), Harry Secombe (If I Ruled the World), Nancy Sinatra (You Only Live Twice), Maureen McGovern (Can You Read My Mind) and Diana Krall ("When I Look in Your Eyes).

Mike Dixon conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra with singers from the West End including John Owen-Jones, Hannah Waddingham and Michael Jibson plus the Finchley Children's Music Group and Annie Skates' Capital Voices.

The concert was recorded at London's Mermaid Theatre on Friday 16th December and in an interview with the Radio Times John Owen-Jones named Waddingham’s Can You Read My Mind and Jibson’s My Kind of Girl as standouts from his fellow performers - “really lovely songs I wasn’t familiar with.” Of his own selection he says: “I thoroughly enjoyed singing Feeling Good and If I Ruled the World – they just seem to ‘fit’ me, if you know what I mean.”.