As dawn broke on the morning of the 6th of June 1944 hundreds of Allied Warships made their way towards the coast of Northern France. D-Day had finally arrived. Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare was underway, heralding one of the most decisive campaigns of World War 2. More than 150,000 troops would land on 5 beaches in Normandy.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Radio 2 is marking the occasion with this special concert being held at Portsmouth Guildhall.
Presented by Vernon Kay, the concert features the combined musical forces of the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Concert Orchestra and the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Big Band as they perform some of the best loved and most enduring music of that era.
Featuring classic film scores including Maurice Jarre’s The Longest Day, Gerard Schurmann’s Attack On The Iron Coast, John Addison’s A Bridge Too Far and John Williams’ Hymn To The Fallen from Saving Private Ryan. Musicians also played an important role during those times, most notably Glenn Miller’s United States Army Air Force Band. They arrived in England in 1944 and over the next year would make more than 500 broadcasts and 300 live performances attended by more than one million military personnel. Among their classics to be performed are In The Mood, Tail End Charlie and Moonlight Serenade.
The concert also features guests including the acclaimed soul voices of Vanessa Haynes and Tony Momrelle who perform some of the biggest hits of 1944 including Duke Ellington’s Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me, Louis Jordan’s Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby and Nat ‘King’ Cole’s Straighten Up And Fly Right. 9-piece vocal ensemble The D-Day Darlings revisit those Vera Lynn favourites, We’ll Meet Again and The White Cliffs Of Dover and singer / pianist Kate Garner takes a nostalgic look back at Now Is The Hour and I’m Gonna Get Lit Up When The Lights Go Up In London.
