The first Saturday in September saw Friary return to one of its best-liked venues, Godalming bandstand, for a prom concert together with Godalming Rock Choir. It’s a wonderful setting, and the weather was kind. An enthusiastic audience with flags, and children with giant bubbles aided the prom atmosphere.
Rock Choir took to the stage for the first half, with a programme including favourites such as James Bay’s Hold Back the River; Take That’s Shine; the late lamented Meatloaf’s I Would Do Anything for Love; and the ‘Friary anthem’, Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
After the interval it was Friary’s programme, a brand new set including Tom Davoren’s Living Power; the overture to Morning, Noon and Night by Franz von Suppé; Peter Warlock’s Lullaby; the foot-tapping Brass Machine by Mark Taylor; and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Folk Festival. It was then time for the Last Night of the Proms standards, Fantasia on British Sea Songs; Jerusalem; and Land of Hope and Glory (Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1). With members of the Rock Choir strategically placed, there was no shortage of audience participation.
An encore of the Radetsky March rounded off a wonderful occasion, sending the audience home in buoyant mood. We were so fortunate to be able to provide this taste of the ‘Last Night’, not knowing that the actual event was not to be held later in the month.