The May Day Bank Holiday weekend saw Besses Boys travel to London to perform a concert in St James' Park that coincided with the announcement that HRH Duchess of Cambridge had given birth to a baby daughter.

Celebration

The announcement of the Royal birth meant there were thousands of well wishers heading towards Buckingham Palace , many walking through the park as the band performed.

Under MD James Holt, the band performed a varied programme that included 'Mephistopheles', Peter Graham's 'Call of the Cossacks' and a stunning arrangement of 'Abide with Me'. The day was rounded off with an encore of 'Happy' by Pharell Williams that summed up the mood of players and listeners alike after the news of the Royal baby.

It was fantastic to perform in such a prestigious venue to such a large and responsive audience on what was a very special day for the UK.James Holt

Great experience

James Holt told 4BR how much the North West outfit had enjoyed their London experience that was topped off by the news about the new arrival:

"It was fantastic to perform in such a prestigious venue to such a large and responsive audience on what was a very special day for the UK.

The comments we have received both during and since the performance have been overwhelming and we have now received support on social media from France, Lithuania and Sweden. We now hope to make this an annual event for the band".