Humphrey Berney is a member of Classical Brit Award-winning band Blake. Ahead of the fifth Summer Prom held in the gardens of his family home near Norwich, in aid of the Rose Berney Memorial Fund, Humphrey remembers his sister
Humphrey Berney’s daughters are getting to the age when they are realising that a big summer prom staged in the background of the family home probably isn’t the normal way of things. Humphrey is one-third of Classical Brit Award winning band Blake, alongside Oliver Baines, and Stephen Bowman (the classically trained opera singer had joined the group in 2009 to replace Dominic Tighe).
This will be the fifth year that the Blake Summer Prom has been held in the gardens of Bracon Hall, the Berney family home in Bracon Ash, to raise funds for mental health support and suicide prevention in Norfolk.
Humphrey’s daughters Ottilie and Cecilia, now aged nine and seven respectively, have got used to the piano soundcheck the night before prom night. Humphrey says: “They will be in the bedroom window, screaming out requests for the pianist to play songs from Frozen and Wicked. Now they are a bit older, they are starting to realise it’s a rather special thing.”
The prom is held in aid of the Rose Berney Memorial Fund, named after Humphrey’s sister who took her own life, after a long and difficult battle with her mental health, in 2005. Humphrey says of his sister: “The main thing that comes to mind is that Rose and I were very lucky to be incredibly close as siblings. We were only three years apart and two of the great things that we shared were sport and music. Rose was an extraordinary, exceptional person and she was a brilliant sportswoman. In her teenage years she was having national trials for hockey; she was a wonderful tennis player; she was a brilliant cricketer, and she excelled in pretty much everything she did. She was also a Choir Girl of the Year finalist – she had a wonderful voice. We sang a great deal in choirs and concerts.
“Tragically, in her teenage years, her mental health became a battle which she fought, but in the end, she decided that taking her life was her only option. Of course it was horrific, and she is hugely missed. But what we are trying to do now, like many people who have gone through a terrible trauma, is to use the emotion and energy and funnel It until something more positive.”
Rose’s death served to underline the urgent need for better mental health support in Norfolk, and it ultimately led to the founding of the Rose Berney Memorial Fund, which is held by Norfolk Community Foundation, as Humphey explains: “It was really speaking to them that the pieces came together. The Foundation is an amazing set up and they really showed me how I could work with them, and with some great small organisations and charities on the ground specifically in Norfolk and sometimes in greater East Anglia who are working in young people’s mental health.”
So how did the summer prom in the back garden come about? Covid played its part. “Along with every other artist and performer, that led us to not being able to work and I thought ‘gosh I’d love to put on a concert’. Creatively it would be a nice thing to do but if I could do it and raise some money for Rose’s Fund and for suicide prevention in Norfolk, that would be a really special thing.”
Although the concert was delayed twice due to Covid, the first one took place in 2022. “It was a big undertaking! I did find it tough – you forget that you’re producer, gardener and receptionist. At the end of it all I thought ‘I’ve got to get on stage now and sing as well!’ By the end of it, having probably had a few many glasses of Champagne to celebrate, I was absolutely cooked.”
The event had proved such a success that it paved the way for more concerts. “It’s always hard to know with these things and after the second one I thought ‘well maybe we’ve done it now – people aren’t going to want to come back and do the same thing again,’ but actually the demand was there so we did it for a third time.
“The word had gone out beyond our friends and family and their close friends and family and there were people buying tickets who had no link to myself or to Rose. It has become a bit of a social calendar date because everyone turns up and there’s a couple of hours socialising on the lawn and getting picnics ready.
“It’s wonderful that people are coming to watch who may not have seen Blake before or had a connection to Rose. Now we’ve done it a few years we’ve know how it works and what needs to be done.”
Across the past four years, more than 1,500 guests have enjoyed unforgettable evenings of live music from Blake, supported by performers including soprano singers Madeleine Todd and Milly Forrest, pianists Dominic Ferris and Tom Knowles, the Dixie Mix Jazz Band, singers from Gresham’s School and a specially formed string quintet that included several of Rose’s childhood friends.
More than £126,000 has been raised to help support various community initiatives and provide critical resources to local organisations. Humphrey says: “This year we’re hoping to break through £150,000 mark, which is exciting.”
He makes the point: “We don’t focus with one charity. The whole point of Rose’s Fund is to generate this pot of cash and then each year the Norfolk Community Foundation will say these are the options of different organisations and charities working in these sectors.
“So, we’ve given money to an eating disorders charity; to an organisation for young carers and to the Sir Norman Lamb Coalition – sometimes it’s easier to give to those organisations already up and running rather than to create something completely new.”
The Summer Prom always takes place in the middle of June. “So far, we’ve been very fortunate that the weather has basically held – that’s the only factor we have no control over.”
These are truly home-coming concerts for Humphrey, who studied at Gresham’s near Holt, said: “I’m a Norfolk boy! It’s convenient for me to do it at my house and sing in Norfolk, but we have done outdoor concerts at country houses all over the country so if anyone is reading this and is interested in us coming to perform at their house then be in touch!”
So, what can people expect this year? “The night before that we have the 16-piece BBC Big Band coming which will be fun, playing lots of Sinatra and Glen Miller, so we have two concerts back-to-back.” As for the Prom night itself, “We are headlining once more. We will be singing our crowd pleasers and our favourite selections of songs.”
Mixing pop and classical anthems with harmony vocals, the trio have entertained live audiences in more than 25 different countries worldwide; appeared on more than 200 television shows globally; given over 800 concerts and sold over 3 million albums.
Humphrey adds: “We have a five-piece string section, we have a fantastic pianist who joins us as well, and we have a brilliant guest soprano whom I’m confirming at the moment, who will sing some solo songs and some duets with us.”
“It will be a mix of big, classical, emotive music, as well as some more intimate numbers, finished off with a bit of a flag waving finale and fireworks which generally get people on their feet.
“A lot of people come back every year – it’s an evening that we love and they get to see familiar faces and meet new ones. It’s a lovely setting and, generally, a very positive and uplifting evening.”
And he adds: “The main way we make it work is obviously through sponsorship which generally covers the costs of putting on a big performance and which allows the ticket sales to go straight to Rose’s Fund. We have very lucky to have generous Norfolk and East Anglian based sponsors, but we are always looking for sponsors to come on board and be part of the evening.”
The Blake Summer Prom takes place on June 13, 2026, at Bracon Hall Estate, Norfolk. To donate/book tickets, visit Norfolk Community Foundation. Could your business sponsor this magical event and commit to making a difference to youth mental health in Norfolk? Speak to Sarah Dodge at Norfolk Community Foundation about how you can make a difference.
Featured image of Blake (with Humphrey pictured on the right) – supplied by Norfolk Community Foundation
Leave a Reply