AS one of sixteen concert dates being held across the country to help celebrate both The Battle of Britain and the evacuation of Dunkirk, Our Finest Hour comes to the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on April 17.
On the night, TV star and host Kevin Whately will be aided by archive footage, recordings of the most iconic speeches made by Sir Winston Churchill and a whole range of musical pageantry provided by mezzo soprano Annie Gill (pictured, below) and The BBC Big Band Orchestra.
Our Finest Hour looks back via the words and music of World War Two, to bring together the best tunes from the dance halls and wireless, along with educational and fascinating insights from a time when Britain faced one of its bleakest periods in history.
From Vera Lynn and Gracie Fields to the Andrews Sisters and Glenn Miller, the music of the 1940s is as well-loved today as ever, with Our Finest Hour promising a night of patriotic fervour.
Kevin Whateley said: "I've been doing this kind of show for a number of years now, largely at The Royal Albert Hall and in Birmingham, but always with orchestras.
"This time around it's with the BBC Big Band, but we've also done them with the likes of The London Symphony Orchestra.
"They're nights on a par with The Last Night of the Proms, I suppose, with lots of flag waving and reminiscing.
"I really enjoy them, largely because orchestral music makes my hair stand on end.
"There's a lot of sentimentality about the war years, but it can't be denied that absolutely everybody jumped in to do what they could.
"You only have to look at the so called Armada of Little Ships that set out to rescue those soldiers stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940 to see what men, and boys, were willing to risk.
"Then there are the pilots who, against terrible odds, fought in the Battle of Britain and ultimately changed the direction of the war.
"It certainly changed the German war initiative and made them rethink their invasion policies.
"There'll be a lot of patriotism with Our Finest Hour, with Annie Gill singing a lot of the traditional favourites such as White Cliffs of Dover and We'll Meet Again.
"There will be a lot of the American Big Band, Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman music going on as well, all linked together by footage from the day.
"There will also be one or two scores from the classic war movies as well, such as The Dam Busters March and the theme from Battle of Britain.
"It promises to be a great night, quite educational, with a fair amount of nostalgia thrown in for good measure."
Kevin, of course, is best known for playing Robbie Lewis, the much put-upon sergeant alongside John Thaw's Chief Inspector Morse, created by author Colin Dexter.
In May, the actor takes a break from his presenting duties with the show to pay his respects to the late writer.
"It's almost surreal the success Colin managed to achieve at such a late stage in his life.
"Then there are all the TV spin offs Morse created in it's wake, which have gone on to almost become an industry in themselves.
"He was an amazing man. He was also meticulously accurate in his writing.
"An academic to the core, he was absolutely obsessed with brain power and getting things right."
Having established that he is a fan of orchestras and the Big Band sound, what does Kevin listen to at home?
"Well, largely because of my daughter, Kitty, who is a professional mezzo soprano, we listen to a lot of classical music and go to a lot of classical performances.
"She's currently at The Barbican with The Royal Opera and her husband, who is also a classical musician, is currently in Oslo performing.
"In the summer, we’re heading out to Bergen for a performance of Candide, which is really exciting.”
"It's a little bit like life imitating art in a way.
"In the Inspector Morse series, Morse is always taking the Mick out of his poor old sergeant for his lack of cultural knowledge whereas later on in Lewis, Robbie has developed more than a passing interest which makes him more comparable with his former mentor.
"I have to say that I’m particularly looking forward to appearing at The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, especially as Kitty was playing there last year.
"I couldn't make her performance because of work, but my wife has told me repeatedly that the place is just sublime.
"I've never been there before but I'm genuinely excited to be able to see the auditorium for myself."
Kevin Whately presents Our Finest Hour at The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on April 17.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here