More than 80 Friends, sponsors and VIPs turned out for the launch of the 2016 festival at The Henrietta Barnett School in early April.

Rising young stars the Mapesbury Quartet were on hand to entertain with a light-hearted but accomplished programme ranging from Mozart to The Girl from Ipanema and Fly Me to the Moon.

Proms spokesman Ron Finlay said: “The launch is always an incredibly significant night. It brings home the fact that after eight months of hard graft by hundreds of volunteers, we are at last well on the way to producing another wonderful nine days of entertainment for the Suburb.”