Press Release
18th February 2004.

Big Band Boogies at War and Peace

With the anniversaries of both the birth and death of Big band legend Glenn Miller occurring in 2004, this years annual big band dances (23rd & 24th July) at the War and Peace show at the Hop farm Country Park will take on added significance.

Held annually for the past five years, the dances have become a very popular part of the overall show, selling out usually months in advance.

Alton Glenn Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa on March 1st 1904 and recorded under his own name for the first time in 1935, forming ?The Glenn Miller Orchestra? in 1937. They began breaking attendance records in concerts along the East coast of America and soon began breaking records with their recordings (Tuxedo Junction sold 115,000 copies in the first week).

In 1941 Glenn Miller headed to Hollywood where the band made their first film ?Sun Valley Serenade? which introduced arguably one of their most recognised songs ? ?The Chatanooga Choo Choo?.

In 1942 Glenn Miller, along with many of his contemporaries got drafted into the army and after a shift to the Army air corps, began running the ?Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band?. In 1943 Glenn and the and were shipped to England to begin a tour entertaining the fighting troops.

On December 15th 1944, Glenn Miller boarded a plane headed for Paris, travelling ahead of his band to make arrangements for their arrival. His plane disappeared and he was never seen again.

?John Miller and his orchestra? are the only big band performing the music of Glenn Miller with direct links to his Glenn himself. John Miller from Chatham, Kent, is Glenn?s nephew and fronts the band which has toured in the UK, France, Belgium, The Canary Islands and Scandinavia.

The John Miller Orchestra will be performing two nights as part of the War and Peace Show on 23rd and 24th July. On Friday 24th July, Dame Vera Lynn will be a special guest at the concert and £5.00 from each ticket sale will go to her charity ?Stars Organisation Supporting Cerebral Palsy?. The War and Peace SHow takes place from 21st - 25th July.

Admission to each night is by advanced ticket only available for £25.00 from the Hop Farm event line 01622 872068 or at