Also present was the Metropole Orkest consisting of 80 men and the Gelders Opera and Operetta Gezelschap (GOOG) choir.

In his initial appearance at the beginning of the concert, Walter Cronkite both describes the reason for his presence and the reason for the concert: I am here tonight, because as a war correspondent, I was part of the allied airborne operation that for a brief moment in history, more than fifty years ago, focused the world's attention on this crossing of the Rhine and this Dutch City of Arnhem.

I speak tonight from hallowed ground, for here more than 1500 brave British parachutists died in a futile attempt to gain the bridge.

They represent for us tonight, the millions of others, soldiers, sailors, airmen and civilians, claimed in history’s worst calamity.

The country's provinces, cities and more importantly the people of Europe were devastated by the toll of mankind’s Second World War.