Battle of the Proms is set to getBeer Festival of to rousing start

A brass band and 150 strong choir will be raising the roof of the giant marquee with a packed programme of music and song.

Conductor Roger Wilcock has created an evening’s entertainment that will draw the always enthusiastic audience into the night’s spirit to join in song with the 150 voices of the Hastings BIG Choir.

This year there are many anniversaries that could be celebrated and Roger Wilcock and his ensemble will deliver a variety of evocative and powerful music. The Choir will also celebrate the life, and the recent loss, of local politician Jeremy Birch, and ‘You Raise Me Up’ which was a favourite of the Councillor, is included to remember him.

Another key theme is the celebration of the 70th anniversary of VE Day. This rich vein of music will be interspersed with classic opera, blues, jazz, American swing, bringing the programme up to date with a compilation of James Bond themes.

The Hastings BIG Choir is this year accompanied by the highly accomplished Medway Band of brass and percussionists, who will excite and lead the audience on this magical journey.

Roger Wilcock commented, “This is the sixth year of Prom Night, and the choir is practicing hard to ensure that the programme exceeds the tremendous efforts shown at last year’s event. There is something for everyone, 100 years since Frank Sinatra was born and fifty years since we first heard the songs from ‘Sound of Music’. The prom is an unmissable treat, especially under the even larger big top marquee, so the weather cannot interfere.”

Tickets are still available and can be bought at a reduced price in advance at Priory Meadow Info Desk, Hastings Information Centre and Hastings Windows, as well as at www.hbmf.co.uk/box-office.

Picnics and blankets are always encouraged, and this year there are various street food vendors on site, as well as the famous ‘long bar’ with 120 local and regional ales, lagers and ciders.

If beers is not to your taste there is also wine, Pimms and a range of in the can mixers to enjoy.

Last year, on top of the festival lager sales, over 7,400 pints of real ale, 6,700 pints of cider, 1,560 glasses of wine and 4,800 glasses of Pimms were consumed, making the Hastings Beer and Music Festival the biggest single venue event in the town’s calendar.

This year there are 120 real ales on offer of which 70 percent are local to the area.

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