The annual Proms concert is part of Aylesbury Town Council’s “ParkLife” weekend, which takes place on the August Bank Holiday weekend every year in Vale Park, Aylesbury. This year the concert was on Sunday 27th August. Unfortunately in contrast to recent years the day was cool and showery, but this didn’t deter over a thousand people crowding into the park in the evening ready for the concert to begin. Luckily by that time the rain had moved away and the evening remained dry, though rather chilly.
The theme of the concert was Disney films, and featured music from films from the 1940s to the present day. Conductor Brendan Gudgeon chose to open the concert with Disney at the Movies, a medley of film themes arranged by John Higgins. After this came the Toccata in D minor by J.S. Bach, which was featured in Fantasia. We were pleased to welcome back tenor Lawrence Thackeray and soprano Alison Langer as soloists. Lawrence sang Can you Feel the Love Tonight and Alison sang a number from Frozen as part of the Symphonic Highlights from Frozen as arranged by Stephen Bulla, and they came together to sing A Whole New World by Alan Menken and Tim Rice. The complete programme is listed below.
The Proms concert is so called because of the “Last Night of the Proms” finale comprising Jerusalem, Fantasia on British Sea Songs (with Alison Langer singing Rule Britannia), and Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March no. 1, accompanying Land of Hope and Glory.
The concert was live-streamed on the internet, and you can watch a recording on YouTube…
The Complete Programme
| Disney at the Movies | arr. John Higgins |
| Toccata in D Minor | J.S. Bach, arr. Ray Farr & Kevin Lamb |
When You Wish Upon a Star (with Alison Swindles, oboe solo) | Harline/Washington |
| Selections from May Poppins | Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman, arr. Ted Ricketts |
| The Jungle Book | Arr. John Moss |
| Can You Feel the Love Tonight (with Lawrence Thackeray) | Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice. Arr. Jay Bocook |
| Monsters, Inc. – “If I Didn’t Have You” | Randy Newman, arr Frank Bernaerts |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | Klaus Badelt, arr. John Wasson |
| Music From the Incredibles | Michael Giacchino, arr. Jay Bocook |
| The Avengers | Alan Silvestri, arr. Michael Brown |
| Symphonic Highlights from Frozen (with Alison Langer) | Arr. Stephen Bulla |
| Moana | Arr. Jay Bocook |
| A Whole New World (with Lawrence Thackeray and Alison Langer) | Alan Menken, lyrics by Tim Rice. Arr. Takashi Hoshide |
| Jerusalem | C. Hubert H. Parry, arr. Rob Wiffin |
| Fantasia on British Sea Songs | Henry Wood, arr. W.J. Duthoit |
| Rule Britannia (with Alison Langer) | Thomas Arne, arr. Alan Mossford. |
| Pomp and Circumstance March no. 1 | Edward Elgar |