VIENNA PROMS - Friday 11th March 2011

Although there were  a few empty seats in the Albert Hall, Bolton, for the Vienna Proms Concert those who did attend will surely agree this was a superb evening of  enchanting music from Vienna.

Greg Francis conducted the National Concert Orchestra of Great Britain  performing the works of Strauss, Litz and Franz Lehar among others. All the  well known Waltz tunes, together with Polkas and Marches were included as the audience enjoyed such favourites as ‘The Blue Danube’, ‘Tales from the Vienna Woods’, ‘The Tritsch Tratsch Polka’, ‘The Pizzicato Polka’ and many more.

The surprise of the evening turned out to be the guest vocalist - none other than St Helens born Bernie Clifton - remember him from Crackerjack and his marathon running ostrich. Bernie returned to his origins as a vocalist to perform many  favourites.

After a short address by RWBro Jack Price, Provincial Grand Master, who made special acknowledgement of WBro Terry Kakoulis, the organiser of the evening, the Orchestra went into it’s finale with ’The Radetsky March’; with the audience participating as they clapped in time to the chorus.  Cries of ’More’ from the audience resulted in the Orchestra obliging with a Reprise of the March.