D-DAY TO BE REMEMBERED WITH THE ROYAL MARINES

On Friday 7 June military musicians and children from across Portsmouth will be taking part in the D-Day 75 commemorations, performing a special open-air concert and a song composed especially for the national event.

Portsmouth Music Hub and more than 40 young musicians from the Portsmouth-based Royal Marines School of Music have joined forces to stage an hour-long concert that conjures up the words and music of the war-time period, and more than 1,000 primary aged children will be watching, singing and joining in.

The finale of the concert will see 30 children take to the stage to perform alongside the Royal Marines. The children will be singing '6 June 1944', a new song which remembers the courage and commitment made by so many on D-Day.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub said: 'It's difficult to imagine a more poignant way to commemorate D-Day 75 than by bringing together musicians from the Royal Marines School of Music and hundreds of local children. We'll conjure up the unforgettable music, the memories and the irrepressible humour of the war-time period, and the children will be encouraged to take part and have fun! However, for everyone involved it will be a time to reflect on the bravery and the sacrifices of an incredible generation, and a moment for us all to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy today.