Words by Angela Cole

When Faversham-based soloist Anna-Jane Casey sang Nobody Does It Better as part of a Bond medley at the end of the Leeds Castle Concert last night, she could have been singing it to the concert organisers.

The event has everything – tradition, ceremony, music for everyone, a bit of glamour and atmosphere, but also a relaxed vibe and the freedom to join in or not.

However, the capacity crowd of 10,000 were definitely up for joining in, be it flag waving, clapping, singing, dancing or rubber chicken throwing.

This year’s event was also a celebration of the 70th anniversary of James Bond, so there was plenty of Bond references, and the audience were encouraged to ‘dress to impress’ – though most people do regardless!

If you wanted to pick up last minute tickets, you would have been disappointed as the event was a total sell-out – every ticket from VIP to basic picnic tickets were sold out.

This meant space was at a premium, but everyone still fitted in somehow, and the organisation meant there weren’t any mad queues for the loos or other facilities. It also meant the rubber chickens were kept busy!

The evening began with Bye Bye Baby, a tribute to the musical Jersey Boys, who bopped around the stage singing their 50s songs, including Why Do Fools Fall In Love and, of course, Bye, Bye Baby.

The world famous Royal Philharmonic Orchestra then took to the stage again, with conductor and compere John Rigby taking up the baton for another year, getting more and more comfortable with his role each time.

He pointed out how he never gets to see the Aero Legends Spitfire flypast as he has his back to everything – it’s such a huge highlight, one year the orchestra should perform the stirring Spitfire Prelude and Fugue by Walton conductor-free so he can also watch the iconic craft swirl and dive above. They’re pros, they can do it!

The first half, when most people are chomping through their picnics and topping up their champers, featured some serious classics, but they were ready with their flags when it came to the ever-popular Pomp and Circumstance. Note to self: don’t forget your flag again!

New soloists Anna-Jane Casey and Haegee Lee displayed their fabulous vocal ranges, while returning for another year were Nicky Spence OBE (who provided us with the goosebumps Nessun Dorma moment) and Tim Howar, who came alive when performing The Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics, as he just happens to be their lead singer.

The evening, which only included a brief smattering of raindrops, was topped off with the firing of the field guns and a fabulous fireworks display – awesome as always.

There was the inevitable car park crush as 10,000 people tried to leave at the same time – shoutout to the two stewards who opened the gate near us.

The Castle Concert is such a winning formula, it’s no wonder organisers only make small tweaks but keep most of it the same each year. In the words of Carly Simon, nobody does it better!