Leighton Buzzard singer 'thrilled' to take centre stage at Bletchley Park

A soprano and costume artist from Leighton Buzzard is getting set to take centre stage at Bletchley Park next weekend as she opens the museum's concert season.

Fiona Harrison will open Bletchley Park's summer concert series on Saturday, July 31.

She said: "I’m thrilled to be opening the season. I first applied in 1997 to perform at Bletchley Park but it wasn’t the right time and now 24 years later it’s finally happened.

“Initially it should have only been 23 years but due to the pandemic everything had to be put back a year so I’m thrilled to be finally getting my chance.”

Most recently Fiona sang for the Leighton-Linslade Carnival, performing songs from the 1960s on the Dogs for Good float with fellow singer Paul Marsden and last week at Stanbridge Lower School’s end of term vintage tea party.

For her Bletchley Park debut, Fiona will be performing in 1940's ATS uniform and Hollywood glamour, singing a variety of British, American, and French songs from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.

These will include numbers made famous by Vera Lynn, Judy Garland, Edith Piaf, and the very best of Hollywood with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific and Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate.

Fiona said: "A lot of thought goes into my musical arrangements which are all bespoke. I work very closely with my musical arranger Richard Whennell.

“This week I’ve just picked up two wonderful arrangements of the Vera Lynn song Be Like the Kettle and Sing and By Myself which is a Garland power ballad.

”I’ve been wanting to perform these songs for along time, and Bletchley Park seemed like the perfect venue.”

Fiona will be on stage from 12noon where entrance to the concert is included in the museum admission price.

For more about Fiona and her shows visit: www.fionaharrison.biz.