A TRADITIONAL Festival of Remembrance will be raising money for the RAF Benevolent Fund and the Royal British Legion in Southend next month.
Now in its fifth year, the festival features The Southend Band, Southend Wind Orchestra and The Orpheus Singers.
The band, choir and singers will be performing from 7.30pm on Saturday, November 11, at The Plaza Centre, in Southchurch Road, Southend, under the baton of musical director, David Clark.
Sir David Amess MP, Southend mayor cllr Fay Evans, Castle Point mayor Cllr Brian Wood, and military personnel will be in attendance at the popular concert.
November 2017 will be the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres. This battle was a campaign of the First World War fought by the allies against the German empire. The battle took place from July to November 1917, for control of the ridges south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres, and Passchendaele lay on the last ridge east of Ypres.
Within the programme of music in this year’s festival will be a commemorative piece entitled Passchendaele, composed by Major Simon Haw MBE of the Coldstream Guards as a tribute to the brave men who gave their lives in 1917 at Passchendaele – one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War.
Also included in the varied programme of music will be a medley of songs from the great swing era entitled the Kings of Swing which includes - Begin the Beguine, Ain’t Misbehavin, Moonlight Serenade and Chattanooga Choo Choo.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heartclubs Band, which hit the album charts back in 1967, so there will also be a toe-tapping rendition of The Beatles.
A traditional Service of Remembrance will also be conducted by Reverend David Pierce and the Presentation of the Standards as The Last Post plays.
For further information and tickets, which cost £10 and £9 for concessions, call 07518 382390 or visit www.theorpheussingers.co.uk.
