Annual Battle Proms spectacular draws thousands to Highclere Castle

THOUSANDS attended the 23rd annual Battle proms at Highclere Castle on Saturday.

The event opened with a display by the horsemen and horsewomen of the Worcestershire Cavalry, who showcased the skills of English cavalry through the ages.

The Red Devils, the British Army’s official parachute display team, performed a phenomenal display before meeting the audience and signing autographs for their young fans.

Starting the musical proceedings in true Battle Proms style were the Battle Proms Belles, a glamourous ‘Andrews Sisters’-style warm-up act.

The highlight of any proms concert is the orchestral performance and this year the New English Concert Orchestra, led by conductor Douglas Coombes, took the audience on a musical journey through iconic pieces from film, TV and the musicals.

The programme was also packed with much-loved classical favourites, including Elgar’s Nimrod, which was accompanied by a Spitfire display.

As the evening drew to a close the excitement built and the pyrotechnics began, with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Beethoven’s Battle Symphony, both performed with ground-shaking live fire percussion from more than 200 cannons.

The evening ended in a joyous flag-waving, singalong finale under a sky filled with fireworks.

The event raised a whopping £15,880.05 for charity and Battle Proms spokeswoman Emma Dexter said: “The generosity of our audience never fails to amaze us.

“We really can’t thank them enough; we work hard year-round to put on such a spectacular show and it really is a delight to watch it all come together on the night for our wonderful audience.”

The Battle Proms will return to Highclere Castle on Saturday, August 2, next year.

To be the first to hear when early bird tickets are available visit www.battleproms.com and sign up to the newsletter.