The Diamond Jubilee weekend has been a busy one in Delta Sound’s calendar, seeing the team cover a large amount of the events over the weekend including the Thames river pageant. Delta Sound’s Communications team were then again back centre stage for the Buckingham Palace Concert on the Monday night.
The show was organised by the effervescent Gary Barlow who brought together a diverse range of acts to entertain the Royal family and the 10,000 lucky people who had managed to obtain a ticket to this once in a lifetime event.
With a number of the performing artists using different mixing desk operators for their sets and a BBC operator working separately in the OB van mixing down each act for the live feed it was a very difficult task and a large undertaking for all involved. The Queen noted the hard work that had been put in during her address to the nation as she thanked all of the staff involved in the events over the weekend.
Working in conjunction with Innovision, The BBC, Robbie William’s Productions Ltd and Westminster Sonus, Delta Communications helped facilitate the sound, lighting, pyrotechnics and stage management teams with aural technology to ensure that vital communications could take place as they set up and carried out the event.
Setting up on the rooftop of Buckingham Palace for Madness’s set was a particular highlight for the team as they provided full front-of-house services for the group and were there as they roared into ‘Our House’ to some amazing visuals which were projected onto Buckingham Palace. Entertaining the crowd as they followed up with ‘It Must Be Love’ the crowd accompanied the band singing along heartily and waving their Union flags to the popular ska band who formed in Camden Town back in 1976.
There were several other highlights over the concert with performances from Robbie Williams, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Cliff Richard and Stevie Wonder. The show also had a slightly comedic side with Peter Kay coming on stage in a Beefeater outfit and Rob Brydon helping to start a Mexican wave with the crowd who were watching the concert from the Mall.
Phil Kidd commented that, “It was challenging with the weather but a very cheerful occasion enjoyed by everyone and from our side. It was a very good outcome overall.”
Completing what has been a fantastic week of celebration for The Royals, the family also took their seats in State carriages on the Tuesday, which is the first time since the Royal Wedding last year as they made their way from Westminster Hall to Buckingham Palace passing down the Mall in front of the throngs of awaiting and very jubilant crowds. Setting up across seven sites along the route the Comms team used their digital communications system to help manage the health and safety aspect of the event providing the police lining the streets with the essential equipment to keep them in contact with each other throughout the Queen’s journey.
Congratulations to the Delta Sound team for their tremendous dedication and proficiency in the run up to and during the Diamond Jubilee weekend. To see all the months of hard work come together for such a fantastic and momentous occasion is one that the team will remember and appreciate being involved in for years to come.