Rendezvous with the Stars
The 15th Benson and Hedges International Pyromusical Competition proper opened in spectacular style with a perfect hot summer evening and temperatures in the high 80s to a seven part display from the United Kingdom’s only pyrotechnics manufacturers. Recipient of the first ever Special Jupiter, awarded in 1993, Kimbolton fabricated more than 80% of the material for tonight’s show.
Part 1 to the music One Vision by Queen. A line of ground salutes announced the beginning of this segment followed by a line of strobe pots. Above these, many many shells of large salutes and titanium salutes, also with salute terminated white comets. A front of bright mines of stars turning to salutes, then a front of blue star mines and then purple. Above these fronts, many different coloured ball star shells, then more mine fronts, shells with vivid pink stars and yet more fronts of mines. This sequence repeated, with really fantastic coloured ball star shells. Next, shells of small stars breaking into six-pointed star clusters. Below these candles of white comets turning to salutes and then huge shells of white comets. Next, more silver comet shells and colour ball star shells. Three ranks of gold glitter candles then opened up on the ground with shells above in the same pale gold glitter, but in crossette form. The scale increased, with shells of gold ball crossettes and then some gold fireflies. The pace increased with volleys of salutes and salute terminated ball star candles and mines, rising to a deafening crescendo with huge white comet shells above and shells of red, white and blue. The segment ws brought to a close with massive pistil shells turning to gold weeping willows, to shouts of approval from the audience.
Part 2 to the music War of the Worlds by Geoff Wayne. This segment opened with barrages of shaped-burst shells producing rings in many different colours, including turquoise, red and blue. Below the ring shells, candles of pink ball headed glitter comets. The single rings were replaced with double concentric rings, linked rings, triple rings and even spirals with some gold charcoal comet shells and the glittering charcoal comet candles below. Then some really large multi-colour changing shells going from blue to red, followed by gold comet shells. Next, candles of screaming whistle tourbillons with shells of gold glitter turning to weeping willows above. Then mines of ball stars with ball and comet shells above and palm tree shells in bright gold. Next, some more large colour changing shells going from lilac to green, with glittering crossette candles below. Then the same in shells above, followed by shells in yellow and gold and finally huge white star shells with clusters of small coloured ball stars.
Part 3 to the music The Longest Day by Paul Anka. This segment began with shells of dense ball stars and screaming whistle candles below. Then shells of go-getters and whizzers followed by fronts of green mines, bombettes of dense ball star clusters in fantastic colours and shells of ball stars above, creating a perfect three-level display. Next, really large multi-colour changing ball star shells, with bombettes clusters below and candles in really bright violet. Then shells in violet and orange pistil shells and fronts of matching mines with more large pistil shells above. The pace was increasing, with some really unusual shells with dense clusters of small stars forming the shape of a larger star. Lots and lots of shells with balls and gold comets, with amazing colours, barrages of large silver comets and finally huge shells of gold comets and violet stars.
Part 4 to the music Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve. Barrages of firefly shells opened this segment, completely filling the sky for seemingly several minutes. Then a huge dazzling mine front followed by crossette ball candles in bright pink. Then shells in orange ball crossettes and then the same in white. Below these, glitter comet candles with yellow ball heads and becoming crossettes. Next, a volley of large shells followed by another dazzling mine front, followed by shells of stars turning to fireflies. Then shells of clusters of ball crossette stars and also shells of comets turning to blue. Below this, fans of crossed glitter candles and then shells of slow turning tourbillons with white and gold clusters. Next, crackling charcoal comet candles with huge crossette comet shells above, with blue bombettes at mid-level. More bright mines and shells of lilac above. The pace increased as the segment was brought to a close with shells of lilac, yellow, pink, violet and glitter, all turning to a falling weeping willow effect at the end.
Part 5 to the music The Hornpipe by H. Wood. This opened with a line of twenty pairs of fountains in front of the lake. A line of white palm-tree shells bursting to blue stars and charcoal comets played behind the fountains. Next, a line of twenty pairs of larger fountains and then a line of twenty single fountains with brighter and higher sparks than the previous fountain-pairs. As the volume of the music increased, the pace of the display followed with shells of salute terminated comets, rising-tail shells of salute terminated tourbillons, lots of shells of colour clusters turning to crackle.
Part 6 to the music Bach’s Toccata and Fuge in D-minor by Sky. This dramatic segment began with rising-tail comet shells in threes, the pace quickly increasing with more and brighter comet shells. Then shells with smaller white comets and mine fronts below followed by large shells of colour stars turning to weeping silver. Next huge shells of comets with blue pistils turning to silver weeping willows. Next, dazzling mines of orange comets, with the same in shells of clusters above. Then more of the same, but brighter with big shells above, bombettes in the middle and comet candles below and mines fired two by two. Then green mines, then turquoise, then another repeating three level display. Next, gold glitter candles, bombettes at mid-level and bright ball star shells above. Then shaped burst shells bursting into large bowties, with more and more filling the sky and bringing the segment to a close.
Part 7 to the music Russlan and Ludmilla Overture by Glinka. Thunderous volleys of salutes and mines opened this final segment. The pace immediately became incredible with lots of huge pistil shells, dazzling mine fronts and a faux finale so intense that all I could write in my notes was WOW. However, this was only a faux finale and the pace immediately changed to a line of twenty serene fountains as there were still several minutes to go. Above the fountains, ball and comet shells and shells of balls turning to crackle. Then two levels of fountains with nautic mines in the lake and silver spider-web shells above. Then shells of slow falling white comets, followed by shells of charcoal comets turning to colour with pistils. Next, really bright mine fronts and more nautic mines followed by slow falling glitter comet shells, with charcoal candles below. This theme was repeated and then followed by shells of weeping pale gold glitter, filling the sky. Next, silver rising tail shells, with fans of salute terminated tourbillon comet candles below. The pace increased to the real finale, with mine fronts, barrages of titanium salutes and many large shells of tourbillon salutes and lots of other large shells. However, the pace at the very end of the finale was a little bit less than expected.
This was a great beginning to the 1999 competition. A very artistic display throughout, always taking advantage of the symmetry of the shoot site and the three levels of space to fire into. The choice of music is bound to be popular with the Jury and the range of colours presented was superlative. The synchronization to the music was excellent, especially considering this was a manually fired show. I later discovered that the reason the end of the finale fell slightly flat was due to some flights of shells failing to fire. This didn’t detract from an excellent display and the Kimbolton team received a standing ovation in the press room afterwards.