Music, Song and Fireworks

More than 1,300 people made their way to Dial Hill on Jubilee Tuesday, to experience the much anticipated return of Music On The Hill - the annual fundraising open-air picnic concert jointly organised by The Curzon and Clevedon Cricket Club.

And what a fantastic time was had by all. It was obvious from the very start that the large crowd were really there for a great time, and ready to party into the night. With superb performances from The Cameo Orchestra and soloists Sophie Hall, Lucy Pope, Elizabeth Glen and Carolyne Randall, the audience were not to be disappointed.

MOTH chairman Chris Brain said: "It was a fantastic night and the audience entered fully into the Jubilee spirit. We improved the staging, sound and lighting systems this year and you could really tell the difference."

The audience got into the swing of things from the very first number, swaying to well known songs from My Fair Lady. Wonderful first half solo performances came from Sophie Hall (My Heart Will Go On and Wind Beneath My Wings) and Clevedonian Lucy Pope (Colors Of The Wind and Gershwin's They Can't Take That Away From Me). This alongside terrific music from The Cameo Orchestra including selections from Cats and Miss Saigon as well as the Thunderbirds theme.

Second half soloists included BBC Proms soloist Elizabeth Glen, who gave faultless performances of Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Pure Imagination and There's Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York. Then came the stuff the large crowd had really been waiting for - Jerusalem, Rule Britannia and Land Of Hope And Glory, sung magnificently by Opera Diva Carolyne Randall, who also gave a breathtaking performance One Fine Day from Madame Butterfly.

There were standing ovations from the crowd, and the evening could only end one way - a breathtaking grand firework finale to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. There was just time for a final encore of Land Of Hope And Glory, before the well-satisfied crowd made their way home to bed!

The date for MOTH 2003 has already been set - it's to be Sunday 13 July. So you had better put the date in your diary now. On this performance word is going to get around about what a brilliant event MOTH is, and next year tickets will be hard to come by.