Heroes Finale for Shipston Proms 2013

Nearly two thousand people thronged the streets of Shipston for the Last Night of the Proms on Saturday 6th July, in what was perhaps the hottest Proms ever!

Boasting a fantastic line-up, including this year’s Fame Contest winner, and headline act, Ultimate Bowie, the Last Night was a fitting close to a fortnight of music, marking the 15th year of Shipston Proms.

The evening opened with Stratford Grammar School girl Harriet Kelley, aged 16, from Chipping Campden, who won the solo title at The Proms Fame Contest. Next on was Battered Soul, an eight-piece band of Shipston High School students who won the Fame Contest best group title.

Also on the bill were The Rinky Dinks, a ukulele supergroup who played hip-hop, rock, house, punk and pop.

The David Bowie tribute band proved extremely popular with Bowie’s classic, ‘Heroes’ – a theme of London Olympics 2012 - and ‘Modern Love’ playing out the final hour at midnight.

The Last Night was the last of this year’s impressive proms performances, which included a jazz extravaganza by Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra and Clare Teal, a concert by Coventry Philharmonic Choir, and a gig by Loyd Grossman’s punk band, The New Forbidden.

One of the many highlights included three performances of Benjamin Britten’s community opera Noye’s Fludde – Noah’s Flood – staged by the Orchestra of the Swan and Shipston Music Society. For more details, please turn to page six.

Mayor, Ronnie Murphy, congratulated the organising committee and performers for putting on such a wonderful event. "I was immensely proud to attend many of the concerts during this year’s Proms. Shipston has showcased classical, rock, pop, jazz, folk, blues, country and choral music performed at the Townsend Hall, in churches, community halls, pubs, hotels and in the street. I would like to thank all those who took part in making this year’s Proms arguably the best yet."

Shipston Town Council and 40 businesses, hotels, restaurants and pubs in the area sponsored the Proms.