When we originally planned our 275th anniversary programme, we had the idea of holding a special narrative concert evening in Prestonpans to tell the story of the battle through some of the many songs and poems which it it has inspired. The chosen venue was the historic Prestongrange Church.
However, as the Coronavirus pandemic took hold it became clear that holding a public concert in September 2020 would be unlikely: even if restrictions had been lifted in time, they would have made rehearsing and preparing for the concert very difficult in the run-up.
Rather than cancel the plan, we opted to film the concert instead. Special permission was kindly received from the church to use the building as our venue, and under strict safety protocols 40 performers were able to play their various parts during an amazing four days of tightly-timetabled filming.
Written and produced by our trustee Arran Johnston, and directed by William Samson of Samson Video Productions, the concert included a cast of volunteer extras and performers from a range of local societies and organisations, as well as musical performers from faces familiar to those who have followed the Trust’s programmes over the years.
The resulting 40 minute film was released on 19 September 2020 as part of the 275th anniversary weekend. It remains available for view on our YouTube channel and on Facebook, and we hope that you enjoy it as much as we do: