Halle's water music: a rainy night in Manchester doesn't deter the BBC's Proms in the Park

Pro Sound News Europe, October, 2004 by Simon Chaplin

UK: Mid September saw BBC Proms in the Park events taking place in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast and Manchester. The Manchester event took place outside the recently opened URBIS museum, its strikingly lit glass facade providing a dramatic backdrop for the stage.

The weather forecast for the evening ranged from light showers to heavy downpours and gale force winds. Manchester's weather, unfortunately, was a mixture of all of these throughout the night. Despite this, a crowd of around 2,000 people turned up to see a performance which included Chetham's School of Music Big Band, tenor John Christos, Jennifer Pike (BBC Young Musician of the Year 2002) and the Halle Orchestra conducted by John Wilson. The crowd remained in good spirits throughout the evening although...