A children’s choir from Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School will open this summer’s Bedford Park Proms with a special tribute to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
The pupils, aged six and seven, have been selected to perform at the family-favourite concert on Sunday, 6 July. The concert forms part of this year’s Bedford Summer Sessions, a series of outdoor gigs that includes headline acts such as Rag’n’Bone Man and Simple Minds.
Located just next to Bedford Park, the school has been working closely with organisers of the Proms, which this year features performances from Lesley Garrett and Russell Watson.
Promoters visited the school ahead of VE Day (8 May) and were treated to a surprise performance by the children, who had written and rehearsed a song especially for the commemorations.
The performance impressed them so much that the team invited the young singers to open the show with their VE Day tribute.
Mark Harrison, promoter from Cuffe & Taylor, said: “This is a lovely tribute from the Pilgrims Pre-Prep School choir, marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a heartfelt song.
It’s great to see the younger generation learning about the importance of this historic day. The Proms is all about bringing people together, especially families, so it will be a really special show this year, with the addition of local acts ahead of the main event.”
The performance is just one of the ways Bedfordians are hosting or participating in commemorative activities across Bedford to mark VE Day 80.
Bedford’s VE Day celebrations
This morning (Wednesday), the Mayor of Bedford Borough, Tom Wootton, raised a specially commissioned VE Day flag in Bedford town centre. He reflected on the occasion: “Today marks the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, a moment that changed the course of history and shaped the freedoms that we enjoy today.
“I was honoured to raise the VE Day Anniversary Flag in Bedford Town Centre.
“I was struck by the number of people who came to pay their respects as we honoured the bravery, sacrifice, and resilience of all those who served and all those who gave so much in the pursuit of peace and liberty in the face of overwhelming odds.
Further VE Day 80 events will take place on Sunday, 11 May, including a parade from Midland Road to Harpur Square at 2.30pm, a service at St Paul’s Church at 3pm, and a flag raising at the Old Town Hall.
A troop inspection and presentation will follow at Riverside Square from around 4pm.
You can get your tickets from Proms in the Park on 6 July here.
