YOUR NEWS – PROMS MAGIC for Cheshire Charity
By BILL ELMS
Top tenor Russell Watson helped launch the 2021 Hale Barns Carnival when he headlined an evening of Proms favourites.
The Salford-born superstar singer took centre stage in the middle of July to kick off the annual weekend festival which returned bigger and better than ever after being postponed in 2020.
Due to the weekend falling into the Government’s 4-week delay to restrictions being lifted, the carnival went ahead as planned but with a 50% capacity only and all appropriate Covd-safe restrictions in place.
The man dubbed ‘The Voice’ had said he couldn’t wait to return to live performing and entertain Hale Barns audiences – while raising vital funds for charity at the same time.
This year’s carnival took place across the weekend of Friday, 16 to Sunday, 18 July 2021 – with demand for tickets meaning the live music was extended to three evenings for the first time in the carnival’s history.
Alongside Watson, other headline acts included disco legends Boney M – featuring Maizie Williams, Katrina and the Waves and 5 Star featuring Denise Pearson.
But it was the very special Proms with Russell Watson that officially opened Hale Barns Carnival 2021.
The 54-year-old former bolt cutter, who started singing in working men’s clubs in his spare time, is the UK’s best-selling classical artist.
2021 marks the 21st anniversary of his debut solo album The Voice reaching no.1 – a position it held for a world record fifty-two weeks, catapulting the singer to international stardom.
With his band he sang a specially curated set full of Proms classics, including stirring anthems like Jerusalem and Rule Britannia, as well as Puccini’s aria Nessun Dorma.
The Friday night concert supported The Seashell Trust, with all profits from the evening being donated to the Cheshire charity which helps young people with complex needs and communication challenges.
Watson said prior to performing: “When I get onstage at Hale Barns it will be my first live concert for eighteen months. It’s going to be an emotional experience, both for me and for the musicians performing with me.
“I used to live not far away, in Plane Tree Road in Hale, so it’s a really nice place to start performing again. And The Seashell Trust is a fantastic local charity which does important work with young people in the area. Charities have been hit hard in the last year, so I’m also really pleased that money raised on the evening will be going towards it being able to continue providing those vital services.
“Last year was meant to be my 20th anniversary tour, but everything was postponed because of the pandemic. After Hale Barns Carnival I’ll be performing a small number of other outdoor Proms concerts, and then my rescheduled tour will start in the autumn – now marking my 21st anniversary!
“When lockdown started last spring, I gave my voice a complete rest for five or six months, and as a result it’s soaring and feeling really fluid.
“Now I can’t wait to get back on stage and entertain people again. I’ll be performing Proms favourites along with a selection of the repertoire that I’ve recorded over the last 20 years.”
The live concerts were once again complemented by a two-day free Hale Barns Carnival family event on Saturday, 17 and Sunday, 18 July.
The carnival weekend was staged with Covid-safe measures in place, including space and hand sanitizer stations, to ensure a relaxed and safe event for all the family.
Organiser Max Eden from Hale Barns Events said: “Russell was due to perform at the 2020 Carnival which had to be postponed because of the Coronavirus pandemic, so I’m absolutely delighted he’s able to join us this summer instead.”
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