Halifax beacon to be lit for Queen's platinum jubilee

Calderdale Council unveiled the plans to light up at the traditional site – Beacon Hill, overlooking the town – adding to thousands being lit in the UK and the Commonwealth, forming part of the official programme announced by Buckingham Palace for the Jubilee Weekend.

People will be able to watch the lighting as it happens on a big screen in The Piece Hall, as well as on the council’s YouTube channel and social media afterwards.

Wainhouse Tower, also at Halifax, is also lit up in the Jubilee colours of red, white and blue, and there are lots of celebration events and activities across Calderdale’s communities, with details of these available online at www.visitcalderdale.com/the-queens-platinum-jubilee-celebrations-in-calderdale

The Halifax beacon will be one of more than 2,022 lit by charities, communities and faith groups all over the UK.

In addition, beacons will be lit in all 54 Commonwealth capitals and the Principal Beacon lighting will take place in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening.

This will take the form of a lighting installation with The Queen’s Green Canopy “Tree of Trees” sculpture and projections onto the front of Buckingham Palace.

This innovative new way of taking part in the beacon lighting will reflect the Royal Family’s long history championing environmental causes.

Bruno Peek, Pageant master of The Queen’s Jubilee Platinum Beacons said this would build on a long tradition of lighting beacons to mark significant royal celebrations.

“Thousands of beacons will be lit across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

“They will enable local communities to join together to pay tribute to Her Majesty as part of the official programme of events,” he said.

Mayor of Calderdale, Coun Angie Gallagher, said it would be a proud moment for the borough.

“We are proud to be part of this momentous celebration.

“It is only appropriate that this unique milestone in history is marked with beacons and music.

“We are honoured to be part of this special event for Her Majesty The Queen’s 70th year as our Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth on her Platinum Jubilee,” she said.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons and Associated Activities have been conceived and organised by Pageant master Bruno Peek and his dedicated team.

The national and Commonwealth timeline is:

At 2pm, hundreds of town criers and 50 Pearly Kings and Queens will announce a specially-written Proclamation heralding the lighting of the beacons later that day.

At 9.35pm local time across the UK and Commonwealth, traditional and Northumbrian pipers and pipe bands will play Diu Regnare, a unique tune specially written for the occasion by Piper Major, Stuart Liddell, the world’s leading piper.

At 9.40pm buglers linked to local beacon lightings across the UK and the capital cities of the Commonwealth will officially announce the lighting of the beacons with a specially written bugle call, entitled Majesty.

Then at 9.45pm exactly, local time, and to coincide with the lighting of the beacons, community choirs across all nations will sing Song for the Commonwealth, which has been written and composed by Lucy Keily from Australia and Vincent Atueyi Chinemelu from Nigeria.