Prom 24: Tuesday 2nd August at 7.00 p.m. (Elgar, Grainger, Strauss)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Presented by Louise Fryer

Tasmin Little performs Elgar's great Violin Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. And to mark the 50th anniversary of Grainger's death, his In a Nutshell Suite receives a first outing at the Proms.

The Violin Concerto is preceded by the BBC Singers performing one of Elgar's most radical part-songs, notated in two keys simultaneously in a manner which parallels the incorrigible experiments of the Australian composer Percy Grainger. Grainger's orchestral suite reaches its grand finale - called the Gum Suckers' March - by way of some unpredictable and darkly complex invention. And to round off the Prom there's music by Richard Strauss: once considered dangerously radical itself, his perky symphonic poem documents the adventures of a purely mythical rascal.

Elgar: There is sweet music
Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor
Grainger: Irish Tune from County Derry
Grainger:Suite 'In a Nutshell'
R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche

Tasmin Little (violin)
BBC Singers
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis (conductor)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

What a superb performance of a superb violin concerto. The combination of Little, Davis and the BBC SO promised well and they are certainly living up to their promise. What a pity the plague of ill-mannered moronic applauders between movements persist in destroying the atmosphere.

[Bryn]

What a pity the plague of ill-mannered moronic applauders between movements persist in destroying the atmosphere.

Perhaps they just enjoyed the performance more than you, and felt the need to show their approbation? At least they didn't do it during the music, as occurs so often at opera and ballet performances. Now that I certainly find annoying, but it's the done thing.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

At least they didn't do it during the music, as occurs so often at opera and ballet performances. Now that I certainly find annoying, but it's the done thing.

Yes, I'm convinced humans are descended from sheep, rather than apes.

[Petrushka]

What a superb performance of a superb violin concerto. The combination of Little, Davis and the BBC SO promised well and they are certainly living up to their promise. What a pity the plague of ill-mannered moronic applauders between movements persist in destroying the atmosphere.

This was indeed a superb performance of my favourite violin concerto, comfortably surpassing one Nigel Kennedy at the 2008 Proms and that was pretty darn good. I rather wish that the programme had had the two halves reversed so that the evening could have ended with this wonderful performance. As for the inter-movement applause, I fail to let it bother me any more. There's usually a lot of coughing and shuffling anyway so it's not as if it's dead quiet or anything.

[Simon B]

I've retired to the Queens Arms (where it's even hotter than in the hall) to let another fine Prom sink in. So even more typos than usual will have to be forgiven! What a performance of the Elgar VC. Quite the contrast with the near-inaudible (and that from all of 20 feet away) solos in the Walton on Sat. Don't agree re the order of the programme this eve - nice to have some light relief in the 2nd half I thought (a very committed and characterful Till). My stance on the inter movement applause is the same as ever. I have no right or prerogative to assert that people shouldn't, I just wish they wouldn't in works like this. The BBCSO once again proved they've nothing in common with the disinterested dynamically feeble equivalent of 5 years or so back. Excellent season so far, I've attended 5, all excellent (if none perfect). All BBC groups bar the CBSO too. Shows what an act of vandalism it'll be when(/if) one of them gets damaged or shut down in the looming cutbacks...

[salymap]

Yes, SimonB, one couldn't help comparing it with the Walton VC. A winning combination of artists in the Elgar. Must record the repeat on Friday.

[Ventilhorn]

I've retired to the Queens Arms (where it's even hotter than in the hall) to let another fine Prom sink in.

What a performance of the Elgar VC. Quite the contrast with the near-inaudible (and that from all of 20 feet away) solos in the Walton on Sat. Don't agree re the order of the programme this eve - nice to have some light relief in the 2nd half I thought (a very committed and characterful Till).

The BBCSO once again proved they've nothing in common with the disinterested dynamically feeble equivalent of 5 years or so back. Excellent season so far, I've attended 5, all excellent (if none perfect). All BBC groups bar the CBSO too. Shows what an act of vandalism it'll be when(/if) one of them gets damaged or shut down in the looming cutbacks...

Yes, the VC was terrific (and I could hear every note that she played).

Not so keen on the BBC singers. I thought their "Danny Boy" (Irish tune from .... &c) was dreadfully out of tune and a travesty of the original delightful Grainger arrangement for orchestra.

Can't really understand the reason for the singers being there at all.

I found that I had a considerable volume drop in the Strauus (I always listen on FM when I can) and I wonder if anyone else noticed that? I had to turn the wick up a couple of notches and then it was fine.

Good morning all,

Ventilhorn

[prokkyshosty]

At the very end of the second movement of the Elgar, a loud noise came from the stalls, like a programme dropping, which cued the erroneous applauders in the back of the arena to start up, which in turn then set the rest of the clappers alight. It would've been funny if it wasn't quite so horrible -- Sir Andrew's hands were still in the air, and Tasmin Little's bow was STILL on the string. It seemed like they gave each other a knowing look after that.

I can't be too angry at my fellow prommers though as there was also at least one near-fainting at the back right near the end of the Elgar. It was awfully hot in there.

[David Underdown]

Not so keen on the BBC singers. I thought their "Danny Boy" (Irish tune from .... &c) was dreadfully out of tune and a travesty of the original delightful Grainger arrangement for orchestra.

Can't really understand the reason for the singers being there at all.

With Grainger you can't really refer to one version or another of his settings as original. He constantly reworked things for different combos, so whether for full orchestra/wind orchestra/voices each version of the "Irish Tune from County Derry" is just as valid. In fact he often didn't specify an orchestration at as such, just gave parts for high, medium high, medium low and low instruments or voices, along with comments such "small room forces", "large room forces" and the like (he didn't believe in using Italianate musical terms)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Not so keen on the BBC singers.

I've never been keen on this particular ensemble. It should be a professional choir on a par with the Sixteen, but it often sounds like my grandmother singing with others with similar voices.They just don't blend. I'm a huge fan of all of the BBC's orchestras, but when it come to choirs - well they just aren't in the same league.

[BudgieJane]

I'm sorry you don't like the BBC Singers. Which other professional chamber choir sings anything from the earliest choral music to the latest? I have been to several of their concerts at St Paul's Knightsbridge (near Hyde Park Corner), and they have always sounded excellent as far as I was concerned.

The certainly didn't sound out-of-tune to me.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I never said or implied that they were out of tune. I said they didn't blend. That's quite different. To me, they sound like a group of individuals who happen to be singing the same music at the same time. As for their versatility, that's no in question. But I wonder whether their (probably) excellent sight reading ability leads them to skimp on rehearsing as a group. I have no evidence to state this is the case, but the sound does suggest this.

[rodney_h_d]

.....What a performance of the Elgar VC. Quite the contrast with the near-inaudible (and that from all of 20 feet away) solos in the Walton on Sat.....

Yes, I'm hoping Tasmin Little will be properly balanced on TV - BBC4 tomorrow at 7:30pm.

[Petrushka]

It was awfully hot in there.

What about the x thousands of pounds spent on the air-cooling system? In my experience of being in the hall it is barely noticeable.