When you think that most of the performers were volunteers, they should be really, really proud of themselves. Professionals could not have done better. The team of staff and patients(!) from Great Ormond Street Hospital were just amazing. Most of those children have chronic, long-term illnesses and here they were, centre stage at the biggest show on earth. Their faces lit up the television screen.
Danny Boyle didn't shy away, either, from being subtly political. The message "Hands off! Leave our NHS alone!" came through loud and clear. As did the statement about honouring our armed forces and our war dead. And the tribute to the victims of 7/7. What other opening ceremony has had the Secretary General of the United Nations as an active participant? Messages received loud and clear, Mr Boyle. Well done! And thank you for making them.
My first Olympic event was actually on Tuesday, when I sang in the Torch Ceremony in Ealing. The choir had to be there from 2pm for the sound check. It was stiflingly hot. We were lucky, though - they gave us a spot under the trees, right beside the path for the torch.
About two minutes later the cauldron was lit and we sang the closing number, appropriately called "Olympic Torch". It was a medley of pop songs that finished, naturally, with "We are the Champions!".
Sadly, the cauldron was extinguished within a couple of minutes of the end of the show, so I couldn't get a close up of it aflame. Within 15 minutes, the crew had started to dismantle the stage, in order to move it to the venue for Wednesday night's show. This is the best I could do:
- Pam
2 comments:
It was one of the most brilliant opening ceremonies EVER. I don't like Mr. Bean (Black Adder on the other hand...) (the words "I have a CUNNING PLAN..." are uttered far more often than we like to admit around here) either...but that segment had me snickering so hard I could hardly hear the music.
And HMQ received straight 10.0 from all judges around here for the Bond segment. We were already laughing so hard we nearly cried over the statue waving, and then the parachuting - priceless!!
I forgot to mention how touched I was that they invited the construction team to form an honour guard for the torch as it entered the stadium. It wasn't one of my projects but I used to work for one of the companies involved. Knew a few people who worked on the Olympic Park. Made me feel very proud.
- Pam
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