On the 7th December, my wife and I had the great pleasure of being guests of Gareth Morgan, Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police, to the British Police Symphony Orchestra (BPSO) Proms Night Spectacular.
Held at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham, and sponsored by Soper Steria, it truly was a night to remember. This year’s concert, led by musical director Richard Jenkinson, featured a whole host of music from the movies, including The Greatest Showman, Brief Encounter, 2001 A Space Odyssey and Batman. As always, the evening was finished with a rousing rendition of Rule Britannia, as well as ‘Last Night of the Proms’ favourites Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory.
The BPSO celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019 and continues to go from strength to strength, bringing music to communities around the country and helping to raise money in support of good causes. In 2018, the orchestra was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of its outstanding voluntary work in the community and specifically for “uniting the police service and the magic of music to engage, excite and enlighten communities in the UK and beyond.”
All of the musicians, who are all part of their wider police family, give up their time for free and I would like to thank them all not only for an absolutely fantastic, uplifting evening of music, but also for the dedication they show to bringing music – and its benefits – to communities across the country.