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You are in: Past Concerts > 2000 - 02 > Jubilee Concert
We've had a lot of contributions expressing people's experiences of the Jubilee concert. Martin Tomsett received several letters from organisers of the event, and some extracts are included below:
From Barrie Hingley OBE (composer):
"The choirs achieved an exceptionally high standard and their achievement with so little rehearsal time amidst other preparations was most commendable...... We had excellent reports from many people positioned to hear the music from both stages. They described it as 'breathtaking' and 'fantastic' and some said they had difficulty holding back the tears, such was the emotional effect. Their comments seemed very genuine."
From Major Sir Michael Parker KCVO, CBE (producer):
"You must have read in the newspapers how very well everything we all did was received. I know that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were extremely happy with the two days and the live audiences of one million on Monday and over 1.2 million on the Tuesday clearly enjoyed every minute....I would be grateful if you would pass on to all those who were working with you how very much appreciated their efforts and hard work were..... P.S. I am desperately sorry that you did not receive your lunch, it was circling you around the police cordon."
Janet Henderson writes:
Last week I went to a party - and what a party! About a million other people were there too, but I was one of the lucky ones who got a seat as a reward for singing for the lady in whose honour the party was held. Was I seeing things, or was that really the Victoria Memorial just in front and slightly to my left, and Buckingham Palace just behind? And was that Cinderella's golden coach coming towards me with a far larger escort of colourfully attired men on horseback than I remembered from my childhood story? At this point I had to "get real" for I was there with my choir to sing with full heart and voice, sending the Queen with waves of music all the way on her journey to St Paul's Cathedral.
Of course, the party had really started the night before with a pop concert inside the grounds of the palace. It made no difference to those of us outside, because we joined in just the same, watching the big screens and singing and cheering with everyone else. Though I'm no fan of pop music, hearing Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney singing "While my guitar gently weeps" will be one of my party memories. What a contrast after the concert, to see the young children with their lighted Chinese lanterns walking down the Mall to the tune of the "Sugar Plum Fairy" waiting for the Queen to light the beacon. Then more cheering and flag waving for the fireworks and light show - Buckingham Palace will never look the same to me again!
But back to that bold, gold, opulent and ornate coach; that memorable symbol of the majestic and ceremonial part of the celebrations. If ceremonial and formality was the key to the morning events, then the exact opposite was the key to all the activities of the afternoon. I'll never forget the policemen calmly shepherding the crowds in their shirt sleeves; the young Royals on their dais doing a little spontaneous Mexican wave; the Queen being lost from sight amongst the Chicken Shed children as they led her back to the palace, and the joy and exuberance of the Gospel Singers. It was party time again, and no-one enjoyed it more than the crowds. They cheered, savoured, and applauded every moment; their sea of flags was unforgettable and their roar of welcome to Concorde, spine-tingling.
Photo: David Reece
Pat Lamplugh writes:
June 4, 2002 was a most memorable day in many ways. As I struggled to surface at 5am, I cast my mind back to June 50 years ago, when I watched the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II from a dodgy ledge on Admiralty Arch with three school friends! We had a wonderful view perched - in the pouring rain - way above the crowds.
This June was very different. We were whisked up to London in a comfortable coach in pretty reasonable weather and deposited outside the Ritz. We were taken aback by our own privileged position, dead opposite Buckingham Palace, and watched in total fascination the preparations for the day. There was so much colour everywhere! The crowd was having so much fun, and was very well-behaved. They cheered our rehearsal, taken by the good-humoured and cheerful Sir David Willcocks.
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Winner
of the Caption Competition was Nick Caiger (Bass 2): "Now Sir David,
don't laugh, |
The procession started. We were able to identify people in the carriages, and to see Princess Anne and Prince Charles riding as escort. The gold coach was a complete fairy-tale and the Queen really did look radiant and very happy. How we managed to get through Zadok while gawping unashamedly I don't know! Lou Scott-Joynt and I behaved like children, clapping and cheering everything that moved.
The whole performance was so well-organised. Two huge television screens had been erected to the left and right of Buckingham Palace, so that we could watch the Queen's procession to the City and St Paul's. We had a break after our first sing, much enjoyed by the crowd, who joined in the old cockney songs with gusto.
After the break, we wandered back to the stand, from where we had the most wonderful view of all the parades. The first ones were gorgeous, particularly the West Indian show - a preview, I believe, of the Notting Hill Carnival - and the colours were quite incredible. Meanwhile, the younger Royals - including Princes Charles, William and Harry - went walkabout in the Mall and in front of us, shaking hands vigourously and smiling broadly.
The Queen and Prince Philip were driven in an open car escorted by a sea of children, laughing, cheering and waving golden banners. We were lucky to see all this on our big screens. Everyone was so happy. The Royal family settled down just opposite our stand to watch the remainder of the parades, which they appeared to enjoy. We had a final, slightly curtailed sing, but I do remember singing "Land of Hope and Glory" two or three times!
The last and most amazing scene was when the police, in a magnificently controlled effort, allowed all the people in the Mall gradually to move to positions in front of the Palace, around the Victoria Monument. The Queen and Prince Philip appeared on the balcony several times, as we yelled Land of Hope and Glory and God Save the Queen, while the crowds went frantic, waving thousands of Union Jacks. It was quite a sight, bringing the inevitable tear to the eye.
We stumbled back to the coach tired, happy, uplifted and feeling enormously privileged to have taken part in such a memorable pageant. I felt very old and stiff the next day, but what the hell - it was worth it!!
And from Helen Griffiths:
I
thought the police did a really great job over the Jubilee weekend and that
someone ought to write and tell them. I telephoned Scotland Yard and spoke
to the deputy head of the Public Order Unit, which had been responsible for
all the security. He said that he was sorry that the boss (Commander Messenger)
wasn't in that day but had the day off after 4 solid days on duty "and
I sincerely trust, madam, that he's at home tucked up in bed!" - not
quite the response you expect to hear from Scotland Yard!
I wrote to the Commander and got a charming letter back, saying that all the
police felt that things had gone really well and they wouldn't have missed
it for the world. I did forget to ask him for the explanation for the very
large blue parrot which I saw on the shoulder of one of the patrolmen (he
didn't have a wooden leg or an eyepatch, as far as I could see...)
This page updated 14 November 2002
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