excerpt from rehearsal of Innovation 216 | Aerospace Bristol | 2020

What an amazing experience under the wings of this iconic Concorde! I was listening to the rehearsal in the afternoon and knew this moment was coming up - so I took out my phone and grabbed a recording on the spot. It turned out to be one of the most enduring images of the day for me, not least that this was the last concert many of us were able to take part in for over two years.

Featuring over 280 brass and choir aged 7-70: Lydbrook Band, Airbus Filton Workplace Choir, Bristol MAN Chorus, City of Bristol Choir, Gurt Lush Choir, members of Royal Mail Choir, members of UWE Singers, City of Bristol Learning Band, Lydbrook Training Band, Lydney Training Band, conducted by Ian Holmes.

The music celebrates 100 years of Bristol's aerospace history and was commissioned by Bristol Cultural Development Partnership with funding from Arts Council England. Words are by members of Bristol's Aerospace industry and Jennifer Henderson.

Innovation 216 is a celebration of the beauty of flight through aspects of Bristol’s aerospace history, from the earliest Bristol Boxkite Biplane to the Blenheim Light Bomber, the Brabazon and Britannia, and Concorde. The title, Innovation 216, celebrates the innovation of Bristol’s aerospace industry and also relates to Concorde 216, the last Concorde built, the final one assembled and flown at Filton, and the last ever to fly, returning to Filton from Heathrow Airport on 26 November 2003.