The world's biggest music festival?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I was listening to Radio 5 on the way home this evening, and after talking about the forthcoming Ashes Test Series, they went ton to drool about the Glastonbury Festival, saying 175.000 attended and that it was the biggest music in the world. I would have thought it was rather puny when compared with the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts (aka BBC Proms).

There are so many people out there, including broadcasters who should know better, for whom classical music simply isn't on their radar.

[Petrushka]

Happy to say that Glastonbury isn't on my radar.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Happy to say that Glastonbury isn't on my radar.

My mother's family were from Glastonbury and my grandfather used to attend Rutland Boughton's Glastonbury Festival.

(Sorry, Petrushka, I inadvertently committed the Hostal sin of editing your post instead of replying to it. Now corrected.

[teamsaint]

It isnt the worlds biggest by a long way

http://www.mtviggy.com/lists/the-10-biggest-music-festivals-in-the-world-2/

[cloughie]

I was listening to Radio 5 on the way home this evening, and after talking about the forthcoming Ashes Test Series, they went ton to drool about the Glastonbury Festival, saying 175.000 attended and that it was the biggest music in the world. I would have thought it was rather puny when compared with the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts (aka BBC Proms).

There are so many people out there, including broadcasters who should know better, for whom classical music simply isn't on their radar.

Yes Alps but the Proms has 2 months not 5 days. Yes I get more out of the Proms than Glastonbury. I agree that there are many who should know better ... But I think that there are many on these boards for whom anything other than classical is not on their agenda and others such as ts, edge, beefy and me, who have enjoyed a musical journey and still enjoy what they've heard on the way.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It isnt the worlds biggest by a long way
http://www.mtviggy.com/lists/the-10-...n-the-world-2/

Fascinating statistics.

[MrGongGong]

Happy to say that Glastonbury isn't on my radar.

You would probably love it and find things that you had no idea existed.

As with most things, what's on TV says very little of what is there.

[Richard Tarleton]

Wise words from cloughie and Mr GG. Googling "definition of festival", I find the following:

1.
a day or period of celebration, typically for religious reasons.
"traditional Jewish festivals"
synonyms: fete, fair, gala day, gala, carnival, fiesta, jamboree, pageant; More
celebrations, festivities;
arts festival, festival of music and drama, musical festival, festival of music, science festival;
eisteddfod

2.
an organized series of concerts, plays, or films, typically one held annually in the same place.
"a major international festival of song".

The Proms would seem to me to tend towards the latter definition. Glastonbury seems to encompass elements of the two. It's not really comparing like with like.

[Beef Oven!]

Happy to say that Glastonbury isn't on my radar.

You never know, you might find something of interest if you gave it a go (not feasible, I know!).

[antongould]

Yes Alps but the Proms has 2 months not 5 days. Yes I get more out of the Proms than Glastonbury. I agree that there are many who should know better ... But I think that there are many on these boards for whom anything other than classical is not on their agenda and others such as ts, edge, beefy and me, who have enjoyed a musical journey and still enjoy what they've heard on the way.

To me at least very wise words Cloughers ...... I feel there is a danger the posters you refer to want to take R3 back to where it was 25(?) years ago and think, for instance, R2 is as it was then. In my view things will always change not IMVVHO always for the better, but usually in the way the coming generation want them to?

[LeMartinPecheur]

Mmmm, it all depends on what you mean by a 'music festival'...

... and by 'biggest'.

Love,

Professor Joad

[For all we know Prof J may be currently performing in the truly biggest musical festival of all]

[EdgeleyRob]

There is a tendency for 'classical music only' people to somehow class rock/pop/folk festivals as somehow inferior,which is unfair.
The Proms aint what it used to be.
All IMVHO of course.

[teamsaint]

There is a tendency for 'classical music only' people to somehow class rock/pop/folk festivals as somehow inferior,which is unfair.
The Proms aint what it used to be.
All IMVHO of course.

The one festival that I regularly attend all 4 days of, Wickham in Hampshire, is a fantastic place to discover music that is new to me. To see the extraordinary range talent that there is out there, and to enjoy some top class folk and other music, much of which I really wouldn't get to see otherwise, ( due to the usual constraints).
It's a civilised environment, ( under cover !), great value for money, and one of the highlights of my musical year. One of the great things about the festival is the really wide range of ages among the festival goers, and to see families enjoying music together. quite a few people I know, including family, have gone to the festival rather sceptical about the music, ( because of the "folk" tag") and come away loving the festival and the music on show.

[Serial_Apologist]

Presumably this was not at THE biggest music festival??

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/festivals/wireless-festival-2015-watch-one-policeman-fend-off-a-crowd-of-people-trying-to-gatecrash-10367976.html

[LeMartinPecheur]

My local music festival starts tonight! The Dante Festival in E Cornwall, 5 days of miscellaneous chamber music rising in one or two works to a string orchestra through support from well-coached local students and amateurs. PLUS The Méta Folk Band from Hungary fitting in with the Dante 4tet's Hungarian theme this year, just to keep ts happy (Join us, join us ts!)

So, Bartok Roumanian Folk Dances, 4th quartet and solo violin sonata, Kurtag 12 Microludes, Dohnanyi Serenade, Kodaly Serenade and solo cello sonata. Plus a load of irrelevant trivia by Bach, Haydn (op 76/3 and a string trio), Mozart (K424, 515 & 563), Beethoven Op95, Paganini, Brahms op 79...

[PS Not that this should influence boarders any more than it did me, but there's quite a bit of excellent food and drink along the festival way too... And a Festival Walk around the Minions Cheesewring (qv) to burn some if it off]