Reach For The Skies - Central Band of the RAF

[Richard]

Hello folks!

There has been some speculation that the RAF may be releasing an album of the Battle of Britain tour soon. Following a news item on Classic FM, I've done some research and discovered that the Central Band of the RAF will be releasing an album called 'Reach For The Skies' on the Decca label on 27th September 2010. I've found the tracklisting at Amazon.co.uk, where it can be preordered. There is also a video which states that Hayley Westenra is singing 'Danny Boy'.



Track Listings

1. Battle Of Britain March
2. Fanfare For The Common Man
3. 633 Squadron
4. RAF March Past
5. Lawrence Of Arabia
6. It's A Long Way To Go
7. The Dambusters March
8. Winston Churchill: Their Finest Hour (Jerusalem)
9. Reach for The Sky
10. Danny Boy
11. Pomp and Circumstance
12. Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines
13. Spitfire Prelude
14. Wind Beneath My Wings featuring Kerry Ellis
15. Evening Hymn and Sunset
16. Winston Churchill: Never in The Field of Human Conflict (The Day Thou Gavest)

Richard

[Libby]

There's supposed to be a Battle of Britain tour CD sometime, too. A concert-goer was told as much by the lady selling CDs.

[Richard]

Hello Libby!

I suspect this is the album that the lady was referring to. According to the video, it is a studio recording, not a recording from the concerts.

Richard

[tonyw]

Hi Richard

I wa watching Sky News last night (25th) about 6:45pm and there was an item about this recording but no mention of Hayley.

cheers

Tony

[Richard]

Hello Tony and everybody!

There's an interesting report with two videos at Sky News:

RAF Targets Charts After Signing Record Deal

7:21pm UK, Wednesday August 25, 2010
Matt Smith, Entertainment Correspondent

The Royal Air Force has got a new target in its sights - a hit album in the charts.

The RAF Central Band, founded 90 years ago, has signed a recording deal for a special album marking the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The collection, called Reach For The Skies, will feature some of Winston Churchill's most famous WWII speeches, supported by wartime music played by the marching band.

Members of the band signed a record contract on the wing of a Spitfire fighter plane at the RAF Museum in London.

Mark Wilkinson from record label Decca, said he wanted to find the right band to mark the anniversary.

"This is a really important year for the Air Force, a really important year for the country.

“We wanted to commemorate that in words and music.

"It made an awful lot of sense to go to the very top, to go to the very best, the Central Band of the Royal Air Force."

Decca record boss Mark Wilkinson with members of the RAF band

Making records is nothing new for this band - in the 1930s they were the first military band to record an LP.

But for those in the current line-up, this new experience has been one to remember.

Senior Aircraftman Neil Chapman, who plays bass drum in the marching band, says making the record was "really exciting" and an experience he enjoyed.

"I've never worked in a professional music studio before and to be behind the mics playing and also to be in the studio listening back to the recordings, it was really quite an event."

And while other newly signed bands start wanting first class flights and free champagne, Neil says his bandmates aren't that greedy.

He says they're happy with "as much tea and coffee as can be drunk" and "a few bacon sandwiches".

Reach For The Skies is out on 27th September

Click on the link at the top to see the videos. Hayley is mentioned in the one below the report.

I recognise Mark Wilkinson from Decca. I've seen him at several concerts including the Classical BRIT Awards.

Richard

[Richard]

This album can also be pre-ordered at HMV.com.

Richard

[Libby]

Hmm, I would've imagined it to have more Hayley songs than just one. Did the concert really include all those other songs? It seemed to me that Hayley was the star performer of the show, and she only gets one song on the album?

An album "of the tour" sounds more like a CD recording of an actual concert.

If this is really the CD, it sure is a disappointment to me. I would've at least hoped for a couple of the songs she sang like We'll Meet Again" to be included, or some of the other ones like that. I guess I shouldn't have expected a whole album of songs sung by Hayley, and I didn't, I just expected more than one song. And songs different from her own albums, not a repeat song.

[postscript]

I think you have to recognise it is their album for promoting them and their funding for themselves and forces charities. Two of hayley might have been better but they want to show off their talents in the main, so i think it is all understandable.

Peter S.

[Libby]

I would've still enjoyed a recording of those songs, especially We'll Meet Again. Oh, well.

[Roger-G]

Sept 1, 2010 18:33:55 GMT Libby said:

I would've still enjoyed a recording of those songs, especially We'll Meet Again. Oh, well.

You will find them on my recording of the Croydon concert. Not the best of audio I'm afraid, but perhaps better than nothing for the moment...

hwi.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=bob2010&thread=5344&page=7#120479

[Libby]

Yes, and there's the youtube video from the Alan T-March show (I can never get the spelling down!), in which she sings the whole thing. She doesn't at the Festival of Remembrance.

[Richard]

Hello folks!

This morning I heard on Classic FM that 'Reach for the Skies' will be Simon Bates' CD of the Week next week (20-24 September). He'll be playing a track soon after 10:00 each morning from Monday to Friday.

Richard

[Richard]

Hello folks!

'Reach for the Skies' is now available as a download at Amazon.co.uk. Listening to the short sample, I'm not convinced that Hayley's 'Danny Boy' is a new recording.

Richard

[John H]

My CD arrived this morning. I went straight to track 10 i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif.

Danny Boy is definitely not the version from Treasure. Has Hayley recorded any others? The arrangement sounded similar to the way I remember she sang it at Croydon.

Now I'm listening to the rest of the CD .

[martindn]

I saw a copy of this in ASDA yesterday. Good they are carrying it.

Martin D