British Police Symphony Orchestra
Tuesday, 16 May, 2017
This October West Mercia Police turns 50 years old, a landmark year in the history of the force.
Opening the public celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of West Mercia Police is a very special musical event held at Hindlip Hall on 13th May 2017. The British Police Symphony Orchestra and West Mercia Police Band will be performing together with the money raised also going to the Police Community Fund, providing much needed support for vulnerable victims of crime. Tickets are limited and can be ordered direct via catherine.allsopp@westmercia.pnn.police.uk (tel. 01905 332239).
In June the British Police Symphony Orchestra will move on to Worcester Cathedral, where they will be partnering with the Worcestershire World War 100 organisation for a special performance marking the end of the 100th anniversary year of the Battle of the Somme.
The silent film "The Battle of the Somme" is a moving cinema documentary made in 1916, and seen in that year within two months of its release by an estimated 20 million people throughout Great Britain. The film was digitally restored shortly after the turn of this century and ten years ago, on the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, the Imperial War Museum commissioned Laura Rossi to compose a new musical soundtrack to accompany it.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle, between July 2016 and July 2017 the Imperial War Museum has been co-ordinating 100 worldwide screenings of the film, accompanied by live orchestral performances of Laura Rossi's acclaimed soundtrack. The British Police Symphony Orchestra has been selected to give one of the last of these performances in Worcester Cathedral on Saturday 17th June at 7.30pm.
Laura Rossi will be attending the screening in person together with Dr Toby Haggith, Senior Curator at The Imperial War Museum, to give pre-performance talks about the battle and the musical score.
Tickets, priced at £20 and £15, are available from the Worcester Live Box Office on 01905 611427 and include a complimentary souvenir programme for everyone attending. The costs of the event have been covered through sponsorship, such that all of the proceeds of ticket sales will go to support the work in Worcestershire of three military charities - SSAFA, The Royal British Legion and ABF The Soldiers' Charity.
In addition, on Saturday 17th June from 2.00pm - 4.00pm the Orchestra will be hosting a free-to-attend open rehearsal in Worcester Cathedral, when they can be observed preparing for the evening's performance and film screening under the baton of their Musical Director, Richard Jenkinson Former Chief Constable of West Mercia Police, Paul West, has been involved with the Orchestra for many years, initially as a Trustee, more recently as its Chair and, since his retirement in August 2011 as a member of the 1st violin section. He said: "2017 is going to be an extremely busy year for the Orchestra. We've never given as many concerts in the space of twelve months before, nor have we ever performed three successive concerts in the same Force area. It will be special for us to be West Mercia Police's "Orchestra in Residence" for the season, particularly given my past association with the Force. We're all looking forward to three such varied concerts and - hopefully - to sell out audiences each time. In particular, the Battle the Somme film screening will be a memorable event to be part of, whether as a member of the Orchestra or the audience."
