Members of The British Police Symphony Orchestra are proud to share with everyone their film of Rick Wakeman’s Dance of a Thousand Lights (as featured on The One Show, BBC 1) and to invite you light up the skies, in support of our blue light emergency teams.
Featuring over 300 performers, drawn from the wider police family throughout the UK and recorded entirely in isolation during lockdown, the film celebrates all who serve in our ambulance, fire and police services and who are working so hard in this current crisis to protect those we love.
Watch the whole film here: https://youtu.be/mfhjy_SuGXc
This unique fundraising project is in support of PC David Rathband’s The Blue Lamp Foundation, which celebrated its 10th Anniversary this year. The money raised will enable the charity to help our team 999 heroes who struggle with mental, emotional or physical injuries as a result of their commitment to us whilst on duty.
Chairman of the charity, Peter Sweeney, said: “We are humbled by the work that has been put in by the BPSO to get this project up and running and the commitment to support our work, as crucial today as it was a decade ago, but even more difficult in the current crisis.”
The original Dance of a Thousand Lights event was scheduled for Sunday September 27, but had to be postponed due to Covid restrictions.
The new date for everyone to light up the skies is Saturday October 24 at 5.45pm.
To find out more about the project, the range of official merchandise and ways in which donations can be made, visit: www.bpso.org.uk
The orchestra is no stranger to blue flashing lights, comprising as it does, serving and retired police officers, support and civilian staff, along with the wider police family.
Musical Director of the BPSO, Dr Richard Jenkinson, said: “This project is an incredible achievement, bringing together as it has over 70 members of the BPSO, the internationally acclaimed classical pianist, Benjamin Frith and 300 performers from massed police choirs. A project such as this would have been impossible a few years ago and it is a tribute to all involved that we have used the technology available to create such a ground-breaking recording.”
The film, featuring every performer, along with footage of blue light heroes and vehicles, provides the perfect soundtrack to a visual spectacular to be staged on Saturday 24th October 24, 2020.
At 5.45pm on this date, members of the public are invited to stand outside, at a safe social distance and wave blue lights into the skies, to become one of the BPSO’s thousand lights.
Where available, blue light emergency vehicles from all 999 response teams will flash blue lights in appreciation of the public support.
Light up the skies at sunset and celebrate your team 999 heroes – It’s that easy!
