Televised Proms

[french frank]

Twenty-four concerts will be on television this year, some live, some broadcast 'during the season', some after the season. The full list is here.

The 24 concerts include the following 8 (i.e. one third of the total):

Prom 2: Disco at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Two during the season, presented by Andi Oliver
Proms 11 & 12: CBeebies Prom: Wildlife Jamboree, broadcast on CBeebies in September
Prom 13: Sarah Vaughan – Tribute to a Legend, broadcast live on BBC Four on Sunday 28 July, presented by Clive Myrie
Prom 18: Sam Smith at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Two during the season, presented by Clara Amfo
Prom 21: John Wilson’s American Greats at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Four on Sunday 4 August, presented by Georgia Mann
Prom 48: Doctor Who at the Proms 2024 – broadcast after the season
Prom 57: TV and Film Classics by Henry Manchini [sic] and Friends – broadcast on BBC Four during the season, presented by Jess Gillam
Prom 69: Florence + The Machine at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Two after the season, presented by Clara Amfo

Wot no Nick Drake?

[LHC]

BBC TV has prioritised the non-classical proms for many years, so this is absolutely par for the course. The biggest surprise is that they haven't managed to shoehorn in more of the non-classical performances. I'm sure if they tried a bit harder they could get the percentage up to more than 50%.

[french frank]

In fact I did miss:

Prom 20: A Kanneh-Mason Playlist at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Four during the season, presented by Georgia Mann

A concert of folk songs, dances, prayers and incantations, featuring brothers Braimah and Sheku Kanneh-Mason and the captivating Brazilian guitarist Plínio Fernandes. The dynamic Fantasia Orchestra makes its Proms debut under its founder, Tom Fetherstonhaugh.

[Serial_Apologist]

Wot no Nick Drake?

Organisers will need to duck any flying brickbats.

[smittims]

This is very sad. As someone who is never likely to visit the RAH in future , I always look forward to the televised proms and have quite a few DVD-Rs of fine performances. I did notice that fewer of them will be televised this year in favour of the non-classical events. It's all part of the declining profile of classical music in our society which has led to the dumbing-down of Radio 3 among other developments. I imagine members of BBC orchestras, for instance, must find all this depressing.

[Lordgeous]

This is very sad. As someone who is never likely to visit the RAH in future , I always look forward to the televised proms and have quite a few DVD-Rs of fine performances. I did notice that fewer of them will be televised this year in favour of the non-classical events. It's all part of the declining profile of classical music in our society which has led to the dumbing-down of Radio 3 among other developments. I imagine members of BBC orchestras, for instance, must find all this depressing.

[LMcD]

This is very sad. As someone who is never likely to visit the RAH in future , I always look forward to the televised proms and have quite a few DVD-Rs of fine performances. I did notice that fewer of them will be televised this year in favour of the non-classical events. It's all part of the declining profile of classical music in our society which has led to the dumbing-down of Radio 3 among other developments. I imagine members of BBC orchestras, for instance, must find all this depressing.

[oddoneout]

In fact I did miss:

Prom 20: A Kanneh-Mason Playlist at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Four during the season, presented by Georgia Mann

A concert of folk songs, dances, prayers and incantations, featuring brothers Braimah and Sheku Kanneh-Mason and the captivating Brazilian guitarist Plínio Fernandes. The dynamic Fantasia Orchestra makes its Proms debut under its founder, Tom Fetherstonhaugh.

I might risk that one, as it's a Sunday morning broadcast and the programme is varied.

[french frank]

I might risk that one, as it's a Sunday morning broadcast and the programme is varied.

I wouldn't want it to be thought that there was an objection to any of these individual concerts. It was about the quantity of non classical concerts which they had chosen to include among the limited number televised (apparently in the name of increasing interest in classical music).

[Barbirollians]

Although I hope this does not breach the no politics rule - the PM did suggest earlier this year that musical education would be a priority for the new Government having been to the Guildhall as a teenager and studied flute, violin and piano and at least he likes classical music as shown by his Desert Island Discs. He seems to be the most musical PM since Edward Heath .

[oddoneout]

I wouldn't want it to be thought that there was an objection to any of these individual concerts. It was about the quantity of non classical concerts which they had chosen to include among the limited number televised (apparently in the name of increasing interest in classical music).

That was understood(and didn't come as much of a surprise, if at all) but as it happened I haven't looked at the Proms schedule so was happy to have that brought to my attention. I'd not heard of Fantasia Orchestra - they seem to be involved in some interesting things, but if the focus is youth and beginning careers that does raise a question in my mind about how it progresses and develops over the years?

[smittims]

There's an irony here. Classical music has never been so accessible and available, through cheap CDs. Radio and the Internet, and yet Britain is musically 'poorer' than in the 1930s and '40s , when classical music thrived and there was a thirst for it. When the five London orchestras were formed and the Halle,the Bournmouth and the CBSO grew to symphonic size and activity there were no government -sponsored schemes to get 'kids' into classical music; yet it happened. I'm too far out of the swim to assess how or why it's so difficult today. Is commercial pop to blame? Somewhere the decision-makers lost their faith in classical music and gradually stopped promoting it .

I stilll feel that if the BBC put on a televised symphony at 7.30 pm every night on BBC1 with one of the BBC orchestras playing in a studio, people,would watch , talk about it and start listening. There must be millions of people in Britain today who are simply not aware of what classical music is. I don't know how many people listened to the 'Dumbtime' programmes when they were on , but I've a feeling it wasn't many. and their content was neither one thing nor another. I wish R3 and the BBC generally would accept that this 'imitation-classical' approach isn't working and try something bolder, just giving the public whole classical works at a time and in a place where they will be seen and heard . It might just work.

[oddoneout]

There's an irony here. Classical music has never been so accessible and available, through cheap CDs. Radio and the Internet, and yet Britain is musically 'poorer' than in the 1930s and '40s , when classical music thrived and there was a thirst for it. When the five London orchestras were formed and the Halle,the Bournmouth and the CBSO grew to symphonic size and activity there were no government -sponsored schemes to get 'kids' into classical music; yet it happened. I'm too far out of the swim to assess how or why it's so difficult today. Is commercial pop to blame? Somewhere the decision-makers lost their faith in classical music and gradually stopped promoting it .

I stilll feel that if the BBC put on a televised symphony at 7.30 pm every night on BBC1 with one of the BBC orchestras playing in a studio, people,would watch , talk about it and start listening. There must be millions of people in Britain today who are simply not aware of what classical music is. I don't know how many people listened to the 'Dumbtime' programmes when they were on , but I've a feeling it wasn't many. and their content was neither one thing nor another. I wish R3 and the BBC generally would accept that this 'imitation-classical' approach isn't working and try something bolder, just giving the public whole classical works at a time and in a place where they will be seen and heard . It might just work.

Years ago Channel 4 used to put out in the evening(around 9 or 10 pm I think) a short slot with Freddie Kempf playing a Chopin piece. Nothing fancy, just him, the piano, minimal lighting and camera - a lovely few minutes, without any need seen for razzamatazz and hype. It was just presented, take it or leave it. I think that probably a great many people will have enjoyed/encountered them "by accident" as it were.
I don't know about a symphony, but there is a great deal of music that doesn't last very long even when played complete, and also there is much music which wouldn't be recognised as "classical", such as from the Early Music genre - a dose of Scheidt La Battaglia for instance, and that is visually appealing as well.

[LHC]

Years ago Channel 4 used to put out in the evening(around 9 or 10 pm I think) a short slot with Freddie Kempf playing a Chopin piece. Nothing fancy, just him, the piano, minimal lighting and camera - a lovely few minutes, without any need seen for razzamatazz and hype. It was just presented, take it or leave it. I think that probably a great many people will have enjoyed/encountered them "by accident" as it were.
I don't know about a symphony, but there is a great deal of music that doesn't last very long even when played complete, and also there is much music which wouldn't be recognised as "classical", such as from the Early Music genre - a dose of Scheidt La Battaglia for instance, and that is visually appealing as well.

Freddie Kempf's performances of the Chopin Etudes were on BBC4, not Channel 4. IIRC they were often the first programme of the evening, so on at about 7 pm. Most of them were only about 5 minutes in length.

They have reappeared occasionally to fill slots in the schedule (often when another broadcast of a concert or other classical programme falls short of the allotted 90 minutes or 2 hours).

Channel 4 did show operas and other classical music when it first started, but it has long since given up on such highbrow activities preferring reality shows like Big Brother. In the 80s it was possible to see an opera every Sunday afternoon in the regular "Opera on 4" slot.

As I mentioned earlier, for as long as BBC4 have been showing the Proms, a disproportionate number of non-classical proms have been included in the TV broadcasts. This has become more apparent following the reduction in televised proms in the last few years as we still get all, or most of, the non-classical proms being shown, but because the total number has reduced by about a third, there is less space now for actual classical proms.

I bet the BBC still count the non-classical proms as part of their total number of classical broadcasts for the year on the basis that they are 'proms' and its apparently the 'greatest festival of classical music in the world'.

[MickyD]

Twenty-four concerts will be on television this year, some live, some broadcast 'during the season', some after the season. The full list is here.

The 24 concerts include the following 8 (i.e. one third of the total):

Prom 2: Disco at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Two during the season, presented by Andi Oliver
Proms 11 & 12: CBeebies Prom: Wildlife Jamboree, broadcast on CBeebies in September
Prom 13: Sarah Vaughan – Tribute to a Legend, broadcast live on BBC Four on Sunday 28 July, presented by Clive Myrie
Prom 18: Sam Smith at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Two during the season, presented by Clara Amfo
Prom 21: John Wilson’s American Greats at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Four on Sunday 4 August, presented by Georgia Mann
Prom 48: Doctor Who at the Proms 2024 – broadcast after the season
Prom 57: TV and Film Classics by Henry Manchini and Friends – broadcast on BBC Four during the season, presented by Jess Gillam
Prom 69: Florence + The Machine at the Proms – broadcast on BBC Two after the season, presented by Clara Amfo

Wot no Nick Drake?

They've even managed to misspell Henry Mancini in the list.