| Main Performers | Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding,
Reverend J A Jagoe (Chaplain-in-Chief of the RAF),
John Pudney - speakers
Binnie Hale,
Bobby Howes,
Stanley Holloway,
Raymond Newell,
Ralph Reader,
Jack Cooper,
Hugh Wakefield,
John Rorke - vocals,
Clive Richardson - piano |
| Orchestra or Band | Royal Air Force (RAF) Central Band,
Royal Air Force (RAF) Sky Rockets Dance Band,
Royal Air Force (RAF) Concert Orchestra,
Royal Air Force (RAF) Halton Pipe Band |
| Conductors | Sydney Torch,
Flight-Lieutenant A E Sims |
| Set List | Welcome from a flying Lancaster bomber,
March-In (Flt. Lt. Pugh, RAF),
Ceremony of Colour Hoisting,
Pageant Part One: The Airman Sings (John Mills - compere, Binnie Hale, Bobby Howes, Stanley Holloway, Raymond Newell, Ralph Reader, Jack Cooper, Hugh Wakefield, John Rorke, RAF),
'London Fantasia', C Richardson (Clive Richardson),
Finale: Song Monologue (Ralph Reader)
INTERVAL
Pageant Part Two: Reunion (Ralph Richardson - compere, WAAF, Pipe Band of Halton Camp cadets),
Address (Lord Dowding),
Service of Dedication (Rev J A Jagoe),
Ceremony of Retreat
Music:
'I Don't Want To Join The Air Force',
'RFC Alliterations',
'The Song of The Hun',
'If I Only Had Wings',
'Bless 'Em All',
Verse John Pudney (John Mills),
'Jerusalem', Parry,
'God Save The King' (The National Anthem) |
| Performance Notes | The festival began with BBC commentator, Wynford Vaughan Thomas, in a Lancaster bomber, flying 2,000 ft above the Royal Albert Hall, introducing the crew of the aircraft to members of the audience to to radio listeners. The Lancaster was from 35 Squadron, which visited America before the event on a goodwill tour.
"Although there have been countless broadcasts from the air, this must be the first time in the history of the show business that a concert has started in an aircraft," Mr Harry Alan Towers, the producer, said yesterday..."
(The Daiy Telegraph, 14 September 1946)
The first half of the programme was broadcast on the BBC radio Light Programme and Overseas Programme from 15:00-16:15. The second half was broadcast on the Oversea Programme from 16:30-17:00. In addition, excerpts from the second half were broadcast after the news at 18:15 on the Home Service.
The Pipe Band of Halton Camp cadets brough their goat mascot. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1946/225) |