I have got this on record as I was out last night so watch it with hubby later on.
My uncle was a P.O.W.
I have met Vera Lynn (autograph hunting) she is most charming lovely lady and was thrilled,that I enjoyed music from the era(Glen Miller etc)
Could have been worse. Imagine Stephen Fry or Jonathan Ross for example. Shudder.
Going to have nightmares now.....Chris did a great job last last night, after being told, not to put his hand in his pocket, which he was doing at the start.
Music and readings just right {I like Katherine}, highlight, Pixie Lott....and that amazing letter, read by Jane Horrocks.
VE Day 70: The Nation Remembers from Westminster Abbey today.
I am willing for someone to use the word 'austerity' to describe the war years and those that followed. They seem to be skirting round it because the word means nothing now that people seem to think that we live in dire austere times at present!!
Let's hope Dan Snow doesn't relate to the The Queen as 'Her Royal Highness' again this week!!! :eek:
Going to have nightmares now.....Chris did a great job last last night, after being told, not to put his hand in his pocket, which he was doing at the start.
Music and readings just right {I like Katherine}, highlight, Pixie Lott....and that amazing letter, read by Jane Horrocks.
But not performed till April 1945 & unknown to wartime audiences.
The older I get the more I realise how badly history was taught when I was at school (I was 'good' at it too). I can only hope that these days with all the multimedia available, school children are taught more about what life was like and less dry facts and figures to be trotted out during exams.
I think it has gone too far that way with too much concentration on 'what life was like' and not enough on facts. Danger of kids knowing what it was like to be in a trench or air raid shelter etc but no idea why the wars started or even who took part.
Cant beat the originals sung by Vera Lynn and the Andrew Sisters. Alfie Boe is always on , dont know why they pick him. Has a harsh voice imo. Great show tho
I only really watched this to see Pixie Lott and the Strictly gang, but thought it was a marvellous event - a good balance of darkness and light, and good to see a BBC event where the focus is not on presenters, but on the entertainers and the reason why it was organised in the first place. As well as the above, I thought Chas & Dave were great fun, Alfie Boe singing 'Run' was surprisingly good, and Jane Horrocks' speech was very moving.
I'm very glad to see some Pixie love in this thread though; far too often she gets criticised for the slightest things, but this showed how versatile she is and I'm happy that people enjoyed her performance of 'Sally'. I think it would make a good charity single - in fact, maybe an album of all the songs would be a nice idea?
I loved it was not expecting to, only recorded it because I am an Alfie fan, he was great love the new look suspect it is for Quadrophenia , Love Laura Wright one of our finest female singers, made KJ look a bit feeble, the star of the night was the wonderful Jayne Horrocks, Loved Pixie, especially Pixie and Laura doing the Andrews sisters,great show well done Beeb.
Well, I enjoyed it. It was a good mix of both fun and emotion. Have to agree though - Katharine Jenkins isn't brilliant. I couldn't understand a lot of her diction, but Laura Wright was far clearer, Chris Evans was OK, but that's about it; he did seem once or twice just to be going through the motions of reading from an autocue. Jane Horrocks was superb - the reading itself was so emotional, and the way she read it (and no, I don't think the tears were rehearsed) was amazing. Martin Shaw read the British Legion commendation the way it should always be read, in my opinion. It was a fitting way to commemorate not only VE Day, but the six years of pain and hardship prior to that.
Why include songs that were written after the war? (Run/Youl never walk alone/in the army now.
In the Army Now fitted in perfectly with the narrative of that part of the show- immediately before we were listening to the veterans about their experiences.
Going to have nightmares now.....Chris did a great job last last night, after being told, not to put his hand in his pocket, which he was doing at the start.
Music and readings just right {I like Katherine}, highlight, Pixie Lott....and that amazing letter, read by Jane Horrocks.
Chris Evans was great. The whole show was good, even KJ who I don't like.
I cringed when I saw Jane Horrocks come on the stage. I was dreading her mardy stupid little voice (no pun intended) which is why I don't like her. She did Ok with it but it should have been read out by a guy, the letter was from a guy, rather than pretending it was read by the mum.
Chris Evans was great. The whole show was good, even KJ who I don't like.
I cringed when I saw Jane Horrocks come on the stage. I was dreading her mardy stupid little voice (no pun intended) which is why I don't like her. She did Ok with it but it should have been read out by a guy, the letter was from a guy, rather than pretending it was read by the mum.
The letter was read by the mum because he was killed. She reading a letter that would tell a mother that her son is dead, his words of goodbye. The instructions for a memorial, and his pride in the fact that he may have to give his life, so that his mother can live a good life without war. Jane seemed to feel the pain of reading that letter for a heartbroken mother. That was the point.
Enjoyed the show, Alexander Armstrong"s performance of London Pride was the standout moment for me personally. Very stirring. Thought Chris Evans was out of place, too egotistical and modern for a show of this magnitude. My mum loved it.
This has just started on BBC1.. Is anyone going to watch this at all?
Absolutely loved it. Had a good sing song. Very entertaining. Thank you BBC as always. BBC Events always deliver. Brilliant. Just what we needed after a very negative / divisive election campaign.
P.S. You can't beat a bit of Chas 'n' Dave. Thoroughly enjoyed seeing Team Strictly too. They really are excellent. Such a top troupe.
Why include songs that were written after the war? (Run/Youl never walk alone/in the army now.
I'm not sure why, but they fit very well into the feeling of the event.
In fact after Jane Horrocks emotional reading, hearing run sang I dissolved into tears which is very unlike me. Alfie Boe's rendition was so moving the best performance I have ever heard of that song.
I thought the concert was outstanding. The correct mixture of fun, respectful appreciation, entertainment and information.
Not usually keen on Jenkins but felt she was ok on this.
I sat with my 85 year old Mum and 80 year old uncle watching it and we ..yes we all sang along. They reminisced about VE day, the incendiary marks in the school playground after a raid, running away when the were made to try on their gas masks.
They told me how the Yanks used to get their hair cut by my Grandad and later in the war the German POWs were allowed to come to his barbers to get their hair cut. Mum walked in from work, has to walk through a salon full of Germans...petrified her.
So good to let them talk, keep their memories active.
I'm not sure why, but they fit very well into the feeling of the event.
In fact after Jane Horrocks emotional reading, hearing run sang I dissolved into tears which is very unlike me. Alfie Boe's rendition was so moving the best performance I have ever heard of that song.
I thought the concert was outstanding. The correct mixture of fun, respectful appreciation, entertainment and information.
Not usually keen on Jenkins but felt she was ok on this.
I sat with my 85 year old Mum and 80 year old uncle watching it and we ..yes we all sang along. They reminisced about VE day, the incendiary marks in the school playground after a raid, running away when the were made to try on their gas masks.
They told me how the Yanks used to get their hair cut by my Grandad and later in the war the German POWs were allowed to come to his barbers to get their hair cut. Mum walked in from work, has to walk through a salon full of Germans...petrified her.
So good to let them talk, keep their memories active.
Super post.
It's on again on the Beeb as I type and I'm enjoying it just as much as when I first watched it. The readings are compelling to listen to.
But oh, that music and song... wonderful, wonderful commemorative!
Comments
My uncle was a P.O.W.
I have met Vera Lynn (autograph hunting) she is most charming lovely lady and was thrilled,that I enjoyed music from the era(Glen Miller etc)
Music and readings just right {I like Katherine}, highlight, Pixie Lott....and that amazing letter, read by Jane Horrocks.
I am willing for someone to use the word 'austerity' to describe the war years and those that followed. They seem to be skirting round it because the word means nothing now that people seem to think that we live in dire austere times at present!!
Let's hope Dan Snow doesn't relate to the The Queen as 'Her Royal Highness' again this week!!! :eek:
But not performed till April 1945 & unknown to wartime audiences.
I'm very glad to see some Pixie love in this thread though; far too often she gets criticised for the slightest things, but this showed how versatile she is and I'm happy that people enjoyed her performance of 'Sally'. I think it would make a good charity single - in fact, maybe an album of all the songs would be a nice idea?
Adrian Lester is a very well known actor he does a lot for the RSC. not a celeb!!!!
In the Army Now fitted in perfectly with the narrative of that part of the show- immediately before we were listening to the veterans about their experiences.
Chris Evans was great. The whole show was good, even KJ who I don't like.
I cringed when I saw Jane Horrocks come on the stage. I was dreading her mardy stupid little voice (no pun intended) which is why I don't like her. She did Ok with it but it should have been read out by a guy, the letter was from a guy, rather than pretending it was read by the mum.
The letter was read by the mum because he was killed. She reading a letter that would tell a mother that her son is dead, his words of goodbye. The instructions for a memorial, and his pride in the fact that he may have to give his life, so that his mother can live a good life without war. Jane seemed to feel the pain of reading that letter for a heartbroken mother. That was the point.
Absolutely loved it. Had a good sing song. Very entertaining. Thank you BBC as always. BBC Events always deliver. Brilliant. Just what we needed after a very negative / divisive election campaign.
P.S. You can't beat a bit of Chas 'n' Dave. Thoroughly enjoyed seeing Team Strictly too. They really are excellent. Such a top troupe.
In fact after Jane Horrocks emotional reading, hearing run sang I dissolved into tears which is very unlike me. Alfie Boe's rendition was so moving the best performance I have ever heard of that song.
I thought the concert was outstanding. The correct mixture of fun, respectful appreciation, entertainment and information.
Not usually keen on Jenkins but felt she was ok on this.
I sat with my 85 year old Mum and 80 year old uncle watching it and we ..yes we all sang along. They reminisced about VE day, the incendiary marks in the school playground after a raid, running away when the were made to try on their gas masks.
They told me how the Yanks used to get their hair cut by my Grandad and later in the war the German POWs were allowed to come to his barbers to get their hair cut. Mum walked in from work, has to walk through a salon full of Germans...petrified her.
So good to let them talk, keep their memories active.
Super post.
It's on again on the Beeb as I type and I'm enjoying it just as much as when I first watched it.
The readings are compelling to listen to.
But oh, that music and song... wonderful, wonderful commemorative!