St Gabriels School, Newbury
July 8th 2006
Proms in the Berkshire Countryside
It was a cloudy evening with a cool wind blowing from the west when we arrived to run through the technical rehearsal with our assistant musical director taking the baton.
Having sorted the microphones and run through a few pieces with our guest soloist Valerie MacFarlane we all left for either a quick picnic with our friends or family. Then it was time to change into our concert dress, tune the instruments and get ready for the 7:15 pm start.
The concert theme was Music with Magic and the organisers, MacMillan Cancer Relief had organised a fireworks presentation to end the evening.
The first half was an eclectic programme of nine pieces which included The Impressario, Sinatra in Concert, Caribbean Cameo, Where No Man has Gone Before, and James Bond 007 which featured Valerie singing a few of the famous bond themes.
During the interval there was time to return to the friends and family and have a long snuggle in a warm blanket. Yes, it was definitely one of the chillier July evenings and the wind strength was picking up.
The sides of the marquee were re attached, the lights switched on and the stand lights made ready for the darker second half. Onwards with the second half of the event.
Blaze Away, Soul Bossa Nova, Phantom of the Opera, Manhattan Skyline and Aladdin were played with an appreciative audience putting on coats and lifting the rugs from the flow as body wraps. The last four pieces were the Proms style end – There’ll always be an England, Fantasia on British Sea Songs, Jerusalem and Pomp & Circumstance No 1.
Valerie returned, minus the gold coloured used with the James Bond 007 piece, armed with warmer clothes and a glass of wine. Audience participation with words and actions (or was this just to keep warm?). A few encores later and it was time for the band to leave and watch the fabulous firework display.
A very successful evening with the charity raising over £5,000 from the evening.