Gold medal event! HSO's Olympic Proms at Royal Hall

HSO musical director Bryan Western holds up the Maggies charity logo with members of the orchestra.

Union Jack flags will be waving at the Royal Hall tomorow, Saturday, June 11 as Harrogate Symphony Orchestra presents its Olympic-themed proms concert '“ but this time it will be for one very special lady.

This year the orchestra has nominated Maggie’s as its charity and will be raising funds to help build the first ever Maggie’s Centre in Yorkshire to help people in our area affected by cancer.

John Bywater, HSO chairman, said: “Amidst the flag waving, hooters and singing at our proms concert we will also be helping to raise funds for Maggie’s which is the orchestra’s charity of the year.

“Our last concert raised £1,000 through an amazing raffle. This time we want to beat that, so we need our generous audience to get into the proms spirit and buy lots of tickets.”

So far around £4million of the £5million needed to build the Yorkshire Maggie’s Centre at St James’s Hospital has been raised.

The HSO concert programme features traditional proms style music including Pomp and Circumstance March no. 1, Fantasia on British Sea Songs, Rule Britannia! and Jerusalem.

In addition, there will be an Olympic style twist to celebrate this year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro featuring music with a South American flavour such as Libertango by Astor Piazzolla and Rhapsodia Concertante no. 1 by Juan Carlos Figueiras.When it opens in 2017 Maggie’s will provide practical, emotional and social support for people with cancern and their families and friends.

This idea was originally laid out by Maggie Keswick Jencks who lived with cancer for two years and saw the need for a welcoming refuge from the stress of living with this disease.

Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7.30pm, are available on 01423 502116 or at www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

Please note students enter half price and under-11’s go free.