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PLATINUM
PARTY AT THE PALACE
by Lance
Corporal Rachael Kendall
The Band of the Scots Guards
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HM
The Queen Elizabeth II marked her Platinum Jubilee in
June 2022, celebrating 70 years on the throne, and
becoming the longest reigning monarch in British
history. The bank holiday weekend, from 2nd to 5th June,
offered the British public an array of celebrations.
Trooping the Colour began the proceedings, local street
parties took place across the country and a Platinum
Jubilee Pageant inspired by memorable moments from Her
Majesty’s reign, showcasing our changing society over
the past 70 years, brought the proceedings to a close. However, to many,
the Star-Studded Jubilee Concert was the pinnacle of the
weekend. A royal event of this grandeur would not be
complete without the presence of the British Army and
this concert was no exception. The Orchestra of the
Household Division represented Her Majesty The Queen on
the stage dressed in their recognisable scarlet and gold
tunics.
The BBC’s Platinum Party in the Palace on Saturday 4th
June 2022 was one of the most watched televised events
of 2022 with an estimated 13.3 million viewers with
22,000 spectators attending this free event, with 10,000
public ballot tickets and 7,500 tickets given to key
workers, the Armed Forces, volunteers, and charity
workers. This illustrious homage to Her Majesty’s
unprecedented reign was inspired by global themes and
events that have occurred during her 70-year reign,
including contributions from sports, fashion, the
environment, as well as musical representatives from
across the past 70 years.
The Orchestra of the Household
Division
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Lieutenant Colonel Simon Haw
conducting the
Orchestra of the Household Division |
In a similar formation to The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Concert in 2012, Buckingham Palace became the centre of
a 360-degree experience, walkways connected three pop up
stages incorporating the Queen Victoria Memorial, as
well as using the fascia of the Palace to project 3D
images linking to the different performances. 70 columns
were erected as part of the stage design, representing
the 70 years that Her Majesty The Queen has reigned on
the throne. Although The Queen was sadly not able to
attend, the event started with a pre-recorded sketch of
The Queen alongside one of the country’s much beloved
British Institutions, Paddington Bear, voiced by Ben
Whishaw. The Palace said ‘Her Majesty is well known for
her sense of humour, so it should be no surprise that
she decided to take part in tonight’s sketch. While The
Queen may not be attending the concert in person, she
was very keen that people understood how much it meant
to her and that all those watching had a great time’.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge led the Royal Family
alongside their children Prince George and Princess
Charlotte, accompanied by The Prince of Wales and The
Duchess of Cornwall amongst other members of the Royal
family.
Although The Queen was not there herself, the aptly
named ‘Queen and Adam Lambert’ began the event. The
iconic drum beat to We Will Rock You was
perfectly synchronised to The Queen and Paddington Bear
as they clinked their tea cups to the drum riff, heard
live on stage as the Royal Marines Corps of Drums
marched on. As Brian May says ‘Twenty years after
playing at The Queen’s glorious Golden Jubilee we’re
happy to be invited again. Then there was a moment when
I wondered…. After the Buckingham Palace roof where can
you go? Well… you will see!’. To a cheering crowd, Brian
May appeared from under the stage constructed around the
Queen Victoria Memorial shredding on guitar. Other
notable performers included Elbow performing One Day
Like This alongside the Citizens of the World
Choir, George Ezra, Sam Ryder and Sir Rod Stewart
rousing the crowds with a rendition of Sweet
Caroline.
The Orchestra of the Household Division had great
pleasure in accompanying some of the most talented
artists in the West End today, celebrating Britain’s
rich musical theatre heritage including shows such as Hamilton,
Six, The Lion King and Joseph.
The musical sequence was introduced by composer and
impresario of musical theatre, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber,
joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda who performed a comical
duet, most notably stating [Her Majesty’s] ‘reign has
outrun any West End show in history’. Other
distinguished guests included Alicia Keys who performed
a medley of her most iconic songs, a set list personally
requested by The Queen herself, accompanied by the
Orchestra of the Household Division. Songs included Superwomen,
Girl on Fire, concluding with Empire State of
Mind, appropriately changing the lyrics from Now
You’re in New York to Now you’re in London.
Throughout the Platinum Jubilee weekend, audiences were
able to spot the iconic scarlet and gold tunics of the
Household Division, and their attendance at the Platinum
Jubilee Concert did not go amiss. Replacing the bearskin
and studded boots worn on Thursday’s Trooping of the
Colour, the Orchestra of the Household Division
figuratively adopted different hats to perform
an array of stylistic music to accompany some of the
most renowned artists of this time. Military musicians
are well versed in their ability to perform in multiple
genres, as seen during their regular duties performing
the Changing of the Guard. This preparation ensures
success is achieved through professionalism, accuracy
and speed during time sensitive rehearsals.
Musicians were required to not only follow the
conductor, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Haw, but to also
follow a click track. This metronomic device played
through individual headphones, ensures every musician on
all three stages performed simultaneously. Without
doubt, a prerequisite of being a military musician is
the need for resilience, and this was once again
delivered as an arduous rehearsal schedule was followed
leading up to the Jubilee weekend. However, musicians
were delighted to be part of this historic event: one
orchestra member said, ‘As military musicians we
regularly pay tribute to Her Majesty The Queen through
music, as seen through regular duties such as Changing
of the Guard and our presence at high profile State
Ceremonial events such as Guards of Honours. However,
having the opportunity to work alongside some of the
most talented celebrities of our lifetime, whilst
wearing the scarlet tunic at an event that will become a
landmark in British history is a prodigious privilege,
one to which words cannot do justice’.
The Orchestra of the Household
Division
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Darkness descends on the audience
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Another
extraordinary performance accompanied by the Household
Division was by one of the World’s most beloved Italian
operatic tenors, Andrea Bocelli. His stunning rendition
of Puccini’s classic aria from Turandot, Nessun
Dorma, ensured there was not a dry eye amongst
spectators. He explained, ‘I am about to sing in front
of Her Majesty and the Royal Family, in the hope of
worthily expressing, through the universal language of
music, my admiration for an equally universal character:
one of the most remarkable figures of recent times’.
Another key performance featuring the orchestra alone
was Hans Zimmer’s Green Planet, in accompaniment
to the powerful words of Sir David Attenborough,
delivering a speech reminding audiences to reflect on
the current climate change the world is facing. Colour
images depicting our beautiful planet were displayed
across the Palace, whilst the Royal Ballet School
performed an emotive piece evoking emotions of nature
and wildlife. Prince William also spoke about the
importance of protecting our planet, saying ‘Together,
if we harness the very best of humankind and restore our
planet, we will protect it for our children, for our
grandchildren, and for future generations to come. They
will be able to say, with pride at what’s been achieved,
what a wonderful world’. Skilfully, this introduced the
next performer, Celeste, who soulfully sang an
arrangement of Louis Armstrong’s What A Wonderful
World accompanied by the orchestra.
One final surprise concluded the show through a
state-of-the-art aerial spectacle by SKYMAGIC, a show
which lit up the sky above Buckingham Palace and could
be seen from locations miles across London. 400
choreographed drones created moving images of
quintessential British symbols including a teapot and
teacup, a postage stamp of Her Majesty The Queen, a
depiction of The Queen’s beloved corgi dog, and a ‘thank
you Ma’am’ message. Overall, the evening was reported to
be a huge success in celebrating one of the most
influential and loved Monarchs in British History.
Her
Majesty The Queen responded to the weekend’s
festivities, ‘while I may not have attended every event
in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain
committed to serving you to the best of my ability,
supported by my family. I have been inspired by the
kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in
recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of
togetherness will be felt for many years to come. I
thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for
the part you have all played in these happy
celebrations’.
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