‘Victory’ was the theme of the latest charity concert by the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra, which teamed up with soprano Jennifer Parker-Lummis (pictured above) for the event at Lee-on-The-Solent.
Organised to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ Day, soprano Parker-Lummis brought the concert to a close with a rousing rendition of Land of Hope & Glory for the audience of more than 100 at St Faith’s Church.
Lummis also accompanied the orchestra in a number of pieces including the Band of Brothers Suite by Michael Kamen, and ‘I Vow to thee my Country’ arranged to Gustav Holst’s ‘Jupiter’ in his Planets’ Suite.
The concert had opened with another from Holst’s famous suite – ‘Mars’ bringer of war – and the orchestra also performed The Dambusters’ March by Eric Coates and Victory at Sea, by Richard Rogers.
Before the finale, the orchestra performed the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s third symphony, better known as ‘Eroica’.
Organised by Montserrat Events, this is the third year the orchestra has visited Lee. The event also raised more than £800, including £67 collected on the night, for Titchfield-based charity Second Chance which supports children and young people from a variety of disadvantaged backgrounds to get their lives back on track.
Clare Hulme, charity administrator at Second Chance, said: “The concert was absolutely amazing. I bought my seven-year-old son who has thought this is the most fantastic thing in the world.
“For the charity, this is really important to us. We rely 100% on donations, so the funds that are raised tonight will go directly to working with our kids and they are the ones that really need it the most.
“We're an alternative provision from school, so a lot of our youngsters aren't in education at all. They come to us, and we try and give them some life skills and get them communicating with each other, not via WhatsApp and Snapchat, but by speaking.”
Since it was founded in 2009, the orchestra, which is supported by Bishops Printers, has raised almost £25,000 for local good causes.
Its next concert, which will be for the Lord Mayor’s annual appeal, will be at the Church of the Resurrection, Drayton on Sunday November 30 at 3pm. Tickets will go on sale in October.
A gallery of photos from this concert and others, taken by Colin Farmery, is available here.