I’ve been looking forward to this week for several weeks and hoping it would happen for a lot longer.

 The release of ‘This New Noise’ by Public Service Broadcasting featuring Jules Buckley, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and for one track – the haunting vocals of Devon’s own Seth Lakeman.

 The whole premise of This New Noise, derived from the title of the book ‘This New Noise: The Extraordinary Birth and Troubled Life of the BBC’ by Charlotte Higgins was one of the centrepiece performances of the 2022 BBC Proms season.

 Now, I’m not usually someone that cares much for proms, you could say it’s not ‘my sort of culture’, but as you can probably imagine, my interest was piqued by the involvement of Public Service Broadcasting.

 Specifically, an involvement which involved an original commission to create a performance celebrating 100 years of the BBC, which had its origins in the British Broadcasting Company of 1922.

 If you’re familiar with the work of Public Service Broadcasting, you’ll know why they were the perfect fit for this bill, and it was a performance I absolutely loved. There’s a definite ethereal beauty to the whole performance, giving the history of the BBC presented before you an almost ethereal, mystical quality.

 Such is the hypnosis of the blend of archive material, instruments and one insanely well conducted orchestra, you’d almost be forgiven for thinking by the performance’s end that the BBC was less of a corporation and more a faithful old friend, always shaping and guiding your life.

 Ever since I saw the initial release and performance on BBC Television last year, I’ve been desperately wanting to hear it again and having recorded it onto my Sky box, I have watched it a few times since.

 It had been mooted in the aftermath of the performance by J. Willgoose Esq, the main man behind Public Service Broadcasting, that there was a possibility that it might be released on record or video, licensing pending.

 Happily, that day has now come and not only is it the live recording, but it’s also been remastered and edited terrifically. The final product is a thing of beauty.

 It’s got all the things that made the initial performance spell binding, with crystal clear audio to go with it. I had hoped to make the immersive performance in London to go with the launch of the album, but sadly it was a trip I wasn’t able to make. I can imagine how good it was though.

 Give it a listen – even if you’re not a fan of the BBC, you can still listen to it and treat it as a really lovely performance of music from one of the most intelligent, unique bands in recent times accompanied by a terrific orchestra, together making a masterpiece.