THE RAF SINGS OUT FOR UNSUNG HEROES
Tributes will be paid to the bravery and commitment of the Royal Air Force in an upcoming concert tour by the Bands of the RAF opening at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham on Wednesday, October 26.
The 13-venue tour, held in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, will turn the spotlight on the Unsung Heroes of the Royal Air Force, focussing on those who have and continue to make important, yet sometimes unrecognised sacrifices on our behalf.
Compering duties on the tour will be split between BBC Radio 2 broadcasters Alan Dedicoat and Ken Bruce and Dad's Army actor Ian Lavender (check venue for details), who will introduce an inspirational programme of musicthatwill take the audience on an epic journey through the history of the Royal Air Force, saluting not only the professionalism of those working behind the scenes to achieve great things but also the historic aircraft that made - and continue to make - many of the missions possible.
Musical highlights include South Rampart Street, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, an RAF Marches Tribute including Holyrood and Out of the Blue plus a newly-commissioned piece by Barry Hingley called The Mighty Hercules. The concert will conclude with an uplifting musical finale of World War Two tunes entitled Songs That Saw Us Through. Also featured in the programme are timeless classics such as Hello Dolly and Sweet Georgia Brown as well as popular swing numbers. The programme will be conducted by Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs, the RAF's Principal Director of Music, and will feature soloists Flight Lieutenant Matthew Little and Joanne Pullen.
Each concert will feature one of the main RAF Bands: the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment, The Central Band of the Royal Air Force or the Band of the Royal Air Force College, augmented by the big band sound of either the Squadronaires or Swing Wing.
The tour in full: Symphony Hall, Birmingham (Oct 26), Bridgewater Hall, Manchester (Oct 28), The Sage, Gateshead (Oct 30), The ICC, Harrogate (Nov 6), The Barbican, London (Nov 15), The Anvil, Basingstoke (Nov 17), Colston Hall, Bristol (Nov 18), Royal Centre, Nottingham (Nov 19), Theatre Royal, Norwich (Nov 20), Cliffs Pavilion, Southend (Nov 23), The Lighthouse, Poole (Nov 25), Ipswich Regent, Ipswich (Nov 26), Congress Theatre, Eastbourne (Dec 11).
Each performance starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available at £15.50, £18.50 and £21.50 (London: £16 - £36). For details, click here.
August, 18 2011
