The camaraderie and fortitude embodied by men and women from the ‘Dambusters Generation’ will be celebrated at a special concert in Eastbourne to mark the 70th anniversary of the famous Second World War operation.
Called Encore! A Salute to the Dambusters Generation, the concert at the Congress Theatre, on Sunday, December 1 will feature a stirring musical programme reflecting the indomitable spirit from which such audacious missions as the Dambusters raid were conceived.
Classic wartime film themes such as The Dambusters March and Bridge On The River Kwai will feature alongside 1940s big band numbers made famous by World War Two entertainers such as the Andrews Sisters and Glenn Miller.
The concert, staged in support of the RAF Charitable Trust, will be compered by BBC Radio Two broadcaster Alan Dedicoat and will feature the Central Band of the RAF plus the big band sound of the legendary Squadronaires. The conductor will be the RAF’s Principal Director of Music, Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs.
Also in the programme will be a newly-commissioned Dambusters tribute called March Barnes Wallis, by renowned composer Nigel Hess who has written theme music for TV programmes such as Wycliffe, Dangerfield and Ladies in Lavender.
The Dambusters Raid was an attack on German dams in the Ruhr Valley in May 1943 led by the RAF’s 617 Sqn. It was made memorable for using specially developed ‘bouncing bombs’, invented by aircraft designer Barnes Wallis. These were dropped from Lancaster bombers at low altitude and skidded along the surface of the water into the dams.
Concert organiser Philippa Hayday-Brown said the show would be a salute to the Bulldog spirit of a generation of people who not only lived through a pivotal period in British history but who also ultimately prevailed. She added: “The Dambusters Raid was just one example of how ordinary people were able to achieve incredible things. In this case, necessity certainly was the mother of invention.”
The performance starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available, priced £16.50, £19.50 and £22.50, from the Congress Theatre Box Office on 01323 412 000.
