As ever, we had a fantabulosa time at the Proms in the Park (our traditional finalé for the Summer Season). A small but perfectly formed crowd this year - just me, Madame Arcati, John-John, Sal and Lou - but we still managed to polish off a banquet and gallons of booze while experiencing everything the weather could throw at us (blazing sunshine, rain, chilly gales and muggy humidity - no snow)...
We got our treasured spot close to the stage, and settled in ready for the action to start.
The entertainment was an eclectic mix, to be sure - in the first half (introduced by Ken Bruce) we had a trip down memory lane courtesy of Deacon Blue, some Japanese drummers (from Glasgow), a few numbers from the godawful cheesy "heavy metal musical" Rock of Ages, and a delightful treat courtesy of doo-woppers The Overtones. Remarkably, I had never heard of them before - very camp, quite cute, very good performers; we loved it!
After the break (during which the queues for the loos were phenomenal - this was one helluva busy event!) it was time for the big numbers, and for Terry Wogan to take over as host. First up was pianist Lang Lang, the first performer to appear on stage at the park and at the Royal Albert Hall on the same (last) night! He is sublimely talented, tackling the complexities of Liszt as if it were Chopsticks...
Lang Lang plays Liszt (BBC Proms 2011)
Proms in the Park favourite Katherine Jenkins glittered on stage and sang for us some beautiful arias - Chopin L'alba terra, I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables, and this sumptuous number from Kismet:
Russell Watson (a Proms in the Park newcomer) was remarkably good (I had never rated him much before), as he played to the crowd with such familiar classic numbers as the intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana and Puccini's Nessun Dorma. He even got us all involved in singing along to Volare (O-o-o-o-o)!
In the absence of Josh Groban (throat problems, apparently), Miss Jenkins returned to the stage for a few more beautiful ballads (the traditional folk song Black is the Colour and Sartori's Time to say Goodbye) before providing a foil for our own particular star turn of the evening - Rolf Harris (of course)! She shimmied on stage to hand him his didgeridoo, and shimmied off again (as Mr Harris's "glamorous assistant"). Speaking of crowd-pleasers, all the familiar hits were here - Sun Arise, Two Little Boys, Tie Me Kangaroo Down (twice - the second time set to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory!) and of course Stairway to Heaven. Wonderful, simply wonderful!
Westlife, were, well... Westlife, really. Dull, simpering, unlikeable. We didn't sing along.
Bringing the mood back up again, it was soon time for the live link with the Royal Albert Hall ("Hello Hall!" we shouted), and the evening's big sing-a-long, starting with Climb Every Mountain and You'll Never Walk Alone, which warmed up the tonsils nicely for the traditional concluding numbers - Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem and Rule Britannia. We sang our tits off, waving Union Jacks and rainbow flags in unison!
Soprano Susan Bullock sang Katherine Jenkins off the stage...
A truly wonderful night, concluding with brilliant fireworks and then a late drinkie in The Quebec which meant two night buses home unfortunately - I didn't get in till 5am! Farewell to summer, and roll on the Autumn/Winter Season!
