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Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells/In Dulci Jubilo
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Classical music at the Olympic Opening Ceremony 2012
11. Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells/In Dulci Jubilo
The progressive rock star and composer Mike Oldfield was one of the first musicians to appear during the ceremony. He played his classic 'Tubular Bells', which featured on the 1973 album of the same name. It was the first to be released by Richard Branson's Virgin Records label, and went on to sell 17 million copies. Oldfield also played 'In dulci jubilo' ('In Sweet Rejoicing'), which is originally a Christmas carol that dates from the Middle Ages. The carol has inspired different arrangements by, among others, Robert Pearsall, JS Bach and Oldfield himself.
