Thaxted Proms a Roaring Success

Around 500 people crowded into Thaxted Church on Saturday night (8 November) to take part in a ‘Last Night of the Proms Concert’ staged by volunteers in aid of Stop Stansted Expansion.

The music supplied by the Salvation Army’s Hadleigh Temple Band under its conductor Ken Hillson lit up a cold November evening with renditions of many old favourites such as ‘Nessun Dorma’, the ‘Thunder and Lightning Polka’ and Henry Woods’ ever-popular fantasia of British Sea Songs.

Hilary Pell, a mezzo-soprano accompanied by Derek Thompson on the piano, was much appreciated singing a number of songs, including an unusual arrangement of ‘Shennandoah’ and culminating with ‘Rule Britannia’ aided by an enthusiastic audience.

The finale, a rousing ‘Jerusalem’ sung by the entire audience while waving Union Jacks completed an evening’s music of high standard which raised £2000 for the campaign.

Stop Stansted Expansion Chairman Norman Mead paid tribute to the organizers of the event, saying:  “We are very grateful to everyone who gave their services to make the concert such a roaring success.  The Thaxted Proms organizing committee, led by Marion Rich-Jones, has done us proud, pulling off a tremendously enjoyable event in aid of our continuing campaign.  The responsibility which Marion’s team took for almost every aspect of the organization of the proms concert left the SSE executive committee and key volunteers free to focus on the task of lobbying in Whitehall and Westminster at this critical time.”