HARMONY trio Blake's Castle Howard Proms performance on Saturday is not to be confused with their Stage Of Stage & Screen tour shows, where Stephen Bowman, Humphrey Berney and Ollie Baines are joined by a local choir.
Instead the focus will be on the full pomp and circumstance of a Proms night under the North Yorkshire sky, when a Spitfire with its original wartime service engine will open the event and the night will climax with Proms favourites such as Jerusalem, Rule Britannia and Pomp & Circumstance No 1 in a laser and firework finale.
"This is definitely Proms set, where we'll be accompanied by the London Gala Orchestra and soprano Joanna Forest will be singing a couple of songs with us," says Ollie. "Joanna came to my flat last Monday for rehearsals, and we'll be doing Time To Say Goodbye and Up Where We Belong, the Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warner number, when we get everyone waving."
Blake are no strangers to Castle Howard. "We've sung there, but never in a public concert: we've been there for lots of dinners and fundraising events in the house and it's such an amazing setting. You feel like you're living 100 years ago, or like you're in Brideshead Revisited!" says Ollie.
Bowman, Berney and Baines are working on their new album with a view to releasing it "hopefully in October/November". It's a work in progress," says Ollie. "It's taking its time but only because we're being creative and detailed, recording it with the Central Band of the RAF at Northolt, just near Harrow, in north west London.
"The Military Wives Choir will be on there too, and we've gone for a slightly more stoic theme this time with lots of orchestral stuff – and it's a big, proper, full-on orchestra with 70 members."
Joanna Forest: on song at Castle Howard. Picture: Frank Dwyer
The new album will feature the likes of The Dambusters, Out Of Africa and Nimrod; Ennio Morricone's theme song from Cinema Paradiso; some "lovely' lighter folkie songs" and Here, There And Everywhere from The Beatles' 1966 album Revolver. "It's absolutely stunning," says Ollie. "We've shied away from The Beatles until now because they're the greatest band of all.
"I've always been a massive Beach Boys fan with all their harmonies, and we've done many of their songs, but [in the case of The Beatles], if too many people like a band, they wouldn't want you to do a cover, but we've finally decided to go for it anyway!"
Looking ahead, Blake will be performing six shows on tour next month and two Christmas concerts in December, but none of these dates will be in Yorkshire, which makes a night on the North Lawn at Castle Howard an even more inviting prospect on Saturday. Expect fireworks.
"As long as they don't coincide with the Spitfire flyover," says Ollie. "Now that would be interesting!"
The 27th Castle Howard Proms take place on Saturday. Gates open at 6pm; the main programme starts at 7.30pm, with an interval from 8.30pm to 9pm and a 10pm finish. Tickets are still available at castlehoward.co.uk/DB/whats-on-view/castle-howard-proms
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here