Prom 71: The Last Night, BBC SO/BBC SC/BBC Singers, Davidsen/S. Kanneh-Mason/Alsop

[Ein Heldenleben]

I think they did in the Elgar.

are you joking ? I do hope they didn’t . I think there is something sinister about this wristband remote colour control business. It’s a bit too Nuremberg rally for me but then I don’t like any form of mass demonstration other than polite applause and choral singing.

[Prommer]

Looking at the start of the second half now, the colour scheme of the wrist lights was clearly red, white and blue. All controlled by someone at the BBC, eh? Clever and striking, if a bit sneaky: for those who unwittingly took one while choosing to wear EU regalia it might be said that they were rather ‘used’.

However, for other pieces they turned other colours too so go figure!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Looking at the start of the second half now, the colour scheme of the wrist lights was clearly red, white and blue. All controlled by someone at the BBC, eh? Clever and striking, if a bit sneaky: for those who unwittingly took one while choosing to wear EU regalia it might be said that they were rather ‘used’.

However, for other pieces they turned other colours too so go figure!

Oh my word . For me a line has been crossed.
If the wristbands had been White , Green and Orange that would be a different matter….

[Prommer]

Whole arena lit in red white and blue for Rule Britannia.

[Prommer]

During the Elgar, some of the wrist lights were suddenly turned to red, some white and some blue.

[Prommer]

I wonder if this was explained to anyone as they entered the hall or if people just took them herd style? Some will have to be more careful in future if they object to being ‘used’ in this way.

[Bryn]

During the Elgar, some of the wrist lights were suddenly turned to red, some white and some blue.

But why pay tribute to the French tricolour?

[Ein Heldenleben]

The next thing will be administering a small electric shock to those audibly eating popcorn.

Seriously though what if you didn’t want to be part of some mass endorsement of the United Kingdom ? A perfectly legitimate point of view for some Scots , Welsh and Irish ( and Cornish ) people. Maybe even some English who knows ? What if you were pro-+ UK but unhappy to take part in an overtly patriotic display ? Is it the job of the BBC to help forge a United Kingdom ? Or is it to reflect the political complexity of an association of nations that have been frequently been at war with each other but now thankfully seems to be more at peace ?

[Lordgeous]

Some random thoughts - watched on TV:

Overall enjoyable, glad they dtched Hyde Park et al. Great audio from the engineers - loads of organ!

Not an Alsop fan but I thought the Strauss excellent, apart from the initial string run up (so tricky)

Not a Sheku fan either I'm afraid. There ARE other cellists BBC! I thought the dreary Kol was made even drearier then usual. The principal cellist's solo in the Sea Songs was far more moving. Why did she get no applause? Did Alsop not allow time?

Well done prommers for the thunderous and prolonged applause for the BBC singers. I hope they were suitably touched. (Double entendre not intended!)

I didn't mind Katy's 2 companions, and they both knew their stuff.

I think balloons should be banned! Far too intrusive this year.

Did a gallery cameraman fall over? At one point his shot suddenly went skew-whiff before director cut away, followed by largish sound of a crash?!

Lisa Davidsen - wow! Though I didn't partularly like the chose pieces (misarable sod that I sound!).

BBCSO in great form all round!

[jonfan]

I think we’re way over the top with talk of sinister plots and Nuremberg. The wrist bands were just very attractive lighting effects, and if you didn’t like it after a while put it in your pocket or on the floor. I would be happy to have the EU flag in one hand and the Union Jack in the other plus the tricolour between my teeth because I’m happy to be part of the global community that the Proms has reflected during the last eight weeks. (A thought, I wouldn’t be able to sing though.)

[Maclintick]

Some random thoughts - watched on TV:
Overall enjoyable, glad they dtched Hyde Park et al. Great audio from the engineers - loads of organ!
Not an Alsop fan but I thought the Strauss excellent, apart from the initial string run up (so tricky)

Some thoughts from an RAH seat. As you say, Lordgeous, the Strauss was marvellous, with delicious woodwind contributions, and it struck me that Marin was following André Previn's advice of blurring the edges a bit by launching into the notoriously tricky opening before the audience had settled. Must say these initial bars sounded exactly as in many Don Juan performances I've heard live.

Not a Sheku fan either I'm afraid. There ARE other cellists BBC! I thought the dreary Kol was made even drearier then usual. The principal cellist's solo in the Sea Songs was far more moving. Why did she get no applause? Did Alsop not allow time?

She was certainly acknowledged and applauded at some point in the evening...maybe not after the Sea Songs...

Well done prommers for the thunderous and prolonged applause for the BBC singers.

I think balloons should be banned! Far too intrusive this year.

Balloonatics' activity seemed pretty much par for the Last Night to me.

Did a gallery cameraman fall over? At one point his shot suddenly went skew-whiff before director cut away, followed by largish sound of a crash?!

There was an aerial camera like the ones used at sports events floating over the Arena for shots of Sheku on his central podium which I think crashed into a guard rail...

Lisa Davidsen - wow!
BBCSO in great form all round!

Agreed

[PhilipT]

'Shall' was the usual word. I always learned at school that the first person followed by 'shall' with the second and third person followed by 'will' is the non-imperative form. The other way round being imperative. Perhaps the word 'will' is seen as non-imperative and thus less jingoistic.

This may come as a terrible shock, but the rule is: We sing what is printed in the programme. The word in the programme was 'will', and always has been, in my thirty or so Last Nights. The soloist sang 'will'. The BBCSC sang 'will'. The prommers in the front row, who (mostly) had some experience in this matter, sang 'will'. What people choose to sing in their own homes is their business.

[Retune]

This may come as a terrible shock, but the rule is: We sing what is printed in the programme. The word in the programme was 'will', and always has been, in my thirty or so Last Nights. The soloist sang 'will'. The BBCSC sang 'will'. The prommers in the front row, who (mostly) had some experience in this matter, sang 'will'. What people choose to sing in their own homes is their business.

Does the programme have 'these dark satanic mills' or 'those'? Blake wrote 'these' (which the iPlayer subtitles get right), but it sounded like 'those' from the audience, as usual.

[cloughie]

But why pay tribute to the French tricolour?

A Salut d’amour ou Chanson de Nuit ?

[cloughie]

Maybe a bit more was spent on the visual elements, eg wrist lights, when there must have been a considerable saving dispensing with the Hyde Park and nationwide events.

It was good to have seen that the Proms in the Park have been abandoned.