reviews of Lest We Forget
"LAST night, Hanley's Victoria Hall was awash with a sea of red poppies.
British flags waved gently as servicemen and women of past, present and future stood to attention and welcomed the audience to a night of remembrance.
Veterans and civilians filled the hall, all with a united aim of remembering the fallen and honouring those killed in conflict.
The concert brought some of the best musical talent in the area together in tribute to the armed forces and those who fought and continue to fight for Queen and country.
The Porthill Players, the North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra, the Ceramic City Choir and the Daleian Singers came together for one night in what can only be described as an utterly memorable and moving experience.
Pride filled the room and tears fell silently. It was a night of singing, music and memories.
The audience joined in with classics including I Vow To Thee My Country, and fell quiet to hear The Dambusters March and recollections from Charles Mitchell, nephew of Reginald Mitchell – the man behind the legendary Spitfire.
Young and old stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder, proudly singing the National Anthem.
It is easy to buy a poppy as a mark of respect, but last night's performance saw people go above and beyond to ensure we never forget."
Claire Williams - Sentinel
Newspaper
9 Nov 2009
"SINGERS and musicians showed their talents to pay tribute to the armed forces in their own special way.
Almost 1,000 people flocked to the Victoria Hall, Hanley, last night to witness Lest We Forget, the first remembrance concert of its kind in Stoke-on-Trent.
The crowds were treated to a rare get-together of The Porthill Players, North Staffs Symphony Orchestra, the Ceramic City Choir and the Daleian Singers, and a night of moving musical tributes.
Jonathan Fernyhough, show director and chairman of The Porthill Players, said: "This is our way of saying thank you to the armed forces.
"It isn't just about us getting up on stage for a sing and a dance, we are proud to do this for them.
"We wanted to give something back to people who have served and are serving our country because, at the end of the day, we are still in a war now."
The idea for the event came about when members of The Porthill Players began searching for a theme for their next concert.
Teaming up with the other organisations meant about 250 people of all ages were involved in the concert.
And Margaret Pointon said the 100 members of the Ceramic City Choir were eager to be involved from the start.
The group's publicity officer, aged 58, from Audley, said: "We all jumped at the chance when we were offered it.
"We saw it as a very important thing to be involved in."
The evening featured favourites such as The Dambusters March and was brought to a close with a rendition of Land Of Hope And Glory, followed by the National Anthem and a confetti drop.
Proceedings were given a Stoke-on-Trent twist with the recital of a poem written in Potteries dialect and when George Mitchell, the nephew of Butt Lane-born Spitfire designer Reginald Mitchell, was welcomed to introduce one of the pieces of music.
And people flocked from miles away to see the show. Gill and Colin Tomlinson said it was worth travelling from their home in Liverpool to see it.
Mrs Tomlinson said: "The concert was quite emotional.
"I really enjoyed the talk about the Spitfire and I thought it was nice when the audience joined in the singing."
Service representatives from the past, present and future also attended – some of them after what they described as a "exceptionally well-attended" service in Newcastle earlier that day.
Mike Ward, chairman of the Newcastle and Chesterton branch of the Royal British Legion, said he hoped the event would help more young people realise the importance of Remembrance Sunday.
The 76-year-old, from Blurton, who spent most of his 16 years in the Royal Signals in the Far East, said: "It is great to get support from groups like this and hopefully it will help to get more children involved.
"They need to know about things like this.""
Sentinel
Newspaper
9 Nov 2009
