This year, I was incredibly lucky to be invited backstage to see how the show is run with precision and professionalism. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting up on stage as the orchestra rehearsed under the expert eye of their wonderfully inspiring conductor, Douglas Coombes MBE.
As I immersed myself in music, I could feel the music vibrations travelling through the stage floor. It was marvellous!
Singing is one of my passions so it was the work of an instant to join the Battle Proms choir in front of the stage. The choir is made up from anyone in the audience who wants to take part – adults, children, singers, and non-singers alike. All are welcomed with open arms. A number of us already know and admire Douglas from singing in his choir ‘The Ensemble of Friends’ based in Potton, Bedfordshire, and we never need to be asked twice to join in. We are always keen to make new friends and we have a great time. The rehearsal started with a quick physical and vocal warm up - so invaluable and a great way to relax and feel less self-conscious. With a little tweak here and there, very soon we were singing like pros.
It was time to explore the venue a little more. Here I saw historic battles spanning seven periods from history being vividly brought to life - showcasing the costumes, weapons, and the finest horsemanship. It was a fascinating living history lesson. All brought to us by the superb Worcestershire Cavalry. It was wonderful to see the horses enjoying the display with their much-loved owners.
The displays were taken (quite literally) to a whole new level as British Army parachute team, The Red Devils (and three of their American colleagues) treated everyone to a breath-taking display of tandem jumps, dives, and incredible feats of dexterity. The crowd whooped and cheered as they swooped down at high speed right over the top of us.
On the main stage, the delightful Battle Proms Belles and the Victory Swing Dancers charmed everyone with their fantastic energy and toe-tapping numbers, so evocative of an era from a bygone age. Many of the audience joined in dancing to the beat too.
The main event was heralded by the evening gun salute in commemoration of the 80 years since VE day. Consisting of the famous cannons and the guns of the ‘Napoleonic Infantry Heralds’ the concert really did get off to an explosive start – and what better way to do that than hear the orchestra playing the iconic Jupiter movement from Gustav Holst’s work The Planets – the perfect accompaniment to The Grace spitfire which delighted everyone. Perfectly choreographed with the music, and looping the loop, it really did look like she was dancing – a cheerful ‘hi there and hello’ from an old friend before zooming off into the distance.
The orchestral programme was delightful to just sit back and listen to whilst drinking in the atmosphere. The New English Concert Orchestra was splendid as were the supremely talented soloists for the evening - oboist Alex Franklin and Soprano Denise Leigh. The whole concert was expertly interwoven with introductions from Pam Rhodes. Another particular highlight was the opportunity for me to play the bells in the iconic 1812 overture, complete with live cannon fire. What a privilege! The view from the stage overlooking the whole estate as the sun set was really quite magical. And all this before the interval!! ‘A fantastic day out – there really is something for everyone’ said a fellow audience member.
The second half was just as impressive as we were treated to more musical delights including Beethoven’s amazing Battle Symphony. The music plays out a battle between the French and British armies complete with guns and more than 200 cannons! The sky filled with bursts of light from the ammunition, the unmistakable aroma of gunpower filled the air and the flame red smoke lingered mysteriously. It was a feast for all the senses. A fantastic firework display celebrated the British victory and if the adrenalin wasn’t pumping before, it certainly was now.
I was privileged to re-join the ‘Battle Prom Choir’ at the end of the evening to sing all the traditional proms music. Flanked on either side by fellow singers, it was a spectacular evening culminating in a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne accompanied by the one and only ‘Spicy Piper’ on the Scottish bagpipes. What a terrific night it was!!
Thank you to the amazing crew, front-of house team and performers for helping to make the Battle Proms truly remarkable.
