THE Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra is returning to its spiritual home. The orchestra will be playing at a hangar dance at Bassingbourn Barracks on Saturday, June 9. Indeed, it will be playing in the hangar which is where the legendary Memphis Belle Flying
THE Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra is returning to its spiritual home.
The orchestra will be playing at a hangar dance at Bassingbourn Barracks on Saturday, June 9.
Indeed, it will be playing in the hangar which is where the legendary Memphis Belle Flying Fortress was based during the Second World War.
Organiser Chris Murphy said: "It's quite appropriate that the orchestra should be playing there. It will be something of a homecoming."
Mr Murphy said that music director Greg Francis was surprised that it had taken 17 years for the orchestra to appear in its "spiritual" home.
The orchestra was created for David Puttnam's movie on the legendary crew of the Memphis Belle.
One of the producers was Catherine Wyler, the daughter of Hollywood director William Wyler, who made a war-time documentary on the Memphis Belle and the crew that completed 25 missions over occupied Europe and Germany.
"The orchestra will be playing in its authentic setting," said Mr Murphy.
Unlike the previous hangar dance in 2002, the range of music from the Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra will include not just Glenn Miller but Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Harry James.
"The orchestra will be playing all the authentic music from the era," added Mr Murphy.
Tickets for the hangar dance will cost £20 each and will NOT be available on the evening.
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