SEVERAL thousand party-goers bopped along enthusiastically to an evening of perfectly orchestrated euphoria as Classic Ibiza returned to the sun-kissed grounds of Ragley Hall on Saturday, July 4.
Friends, families of all age groups put on their flashiest finery, sequins and cowboy boots, to enjoy picnics in the warm sunshine before heading down to the stage and fully immersing themselves in the al-fresco celebration of White Isle-inspired music.
Performing more tracks than ever in the show’s 11-year history, the expanded 45-piece Urban Soul Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Hussey, led the Warwickshire audience on a five-and-a-half-hour celebration of the very best in Balearic-infused dance music.
Concertgoer Jake Hood from Alcester has been coming for several years with a group of friends and neighbours. He told the Standard: “Saturday at Ragley was another great evening.
“A live orchestra playing familiar Ibiza anthems is a brilliant concept and didn’t disappoint.”
“We all had a fantastic time either enjoying the sounds from our picnic area or dancing up by the stage. The weather really made it too.”
Classic Ibiza debutant DJ Meera kicked off proceedings at 5.30pm, before being joined by members of Urban Soul Orchestra for the new Chill-Out Set.
Settling into the family-friendly vibe over their picnics, the crowd shimmied to a perfect blend of laid-back classics, including from Groove Armada and The Orb.
Urban Soul Orchestra, DJ Goldierocks and London Community Gospel Choir then took centre stage for the Ghost Ship Sundowner Set, with the BPM taking a noticeable uptick.
New orchestral interpretations of Eple by Röyksopp and Release The Pressure by Leftfield opened the set, which also included firm Classic Ibiza favourites from the likes of Goldie and Adamski.
Classic Ibiza’s very own DJ Goldierocks then took control of the decks for her Deep House Set, setting the scene for the evening’s main event.
At 9.30pm, she was rejoined on stage by Urban Soul Orchestra and London Community Gospel Choir for the Dance Set, a high-octane mix of house classics, including fresh reinventions of Todd Terry’s Something Goin’ On, Dennis Ferrer’s Hey Hey and Fisher’s Losing It.
All accompanied by a spectacular laser and light show, the concert reached a rapturous climax at 11pm following a two-track encore.
Lynwen Harrison, also from Alcester with her husband and five others, added: “It was a fabulous event, well organised and very chilled. The DJ’s were fantastic and the orchestra was amazing. We all had a great time again.”
Classic Ibiza director Lisa Ward said: “Every year we set ourselves the challenge of topping our previous tour, which I don’t mind admitting is pretty daunting.
“Going by the reaction of our incredible Ragley Hall audience we smashed it.
“A massive thank you goes to everyone that partied with us – it was great to see so many families and friends having such a good time.
“And of course, a huge shout out goes to our amazing performers and crew – here’s to more sleepless nights dreaming up ways to raise the bar again next year.”
