Judith Schrut enjoys a fabulous midsummer evening with Elvis Costello at Blenheim Palace…
What an incredible evening we had, lucky audience members at Elvis Costello and the Imposters playing Nocturne Live at Blenheim Palace!
Blenheim has a long and noble history, most famously as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and his illustrious ancestors. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its gilded state rooms, breathtaking water terraces and magnificent landscaping, Blenheim’s Great Court is the stunning setting for the annual Nocturne Live summer concerts. This year’s starry lineup also included Nile Rodgers and Chic, Gary Barlow and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
But ours was a night to remember for the punk generation, as they rocked to the sounds of a superstar, supported by the legendary Waterboys and Nick Lowe. The pulsating beat and volume of Elvis’ “Pump it up” and “Watching the Detectives” were offset by mellow renditions of “Oliver’s Army” and “She”. Smack in the middle of all this, as if on cue, a glorious midsummer sunset lit up the Palace’s golden Cotswold stone, distant rolling hills and throngs of adoring fans. Unforgettable!
photo Geoffrey Davies
Nocturne Live is an annual series of summer concerts at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP. Find out more at www.nocturnelive.com.
