Prom 25: Tuesday 2nd August at 10.15 p.m. (Percy Grainger)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Presented by Charles Hazlewood

A Late Night Prom celebrating anniversary composer Percy Grainger. Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell leads the way into the musical world of a composer she finds 'quirky and outrageous and very unconventional', concentrating on Grainger's fascinating and varied responses to folk music.

Trad: Green Bushes
Grainger: Green Bushes
Early One Morning, Tulluchgorum and Music for a New Crossing (medley)
Grainger: Molly on the Shore
Shepherd's Hey (medley)
Grainger: Early One Morning
Trad: Sea Shanty
Grainger: Shallow Brown
Trad: Scotch Strathspey & Reel
Grainger: Scotch Strathspey & Reel

June Tabor (folk singer)
Wilson Family (Shanty singers)
Kathryn Tickell Band
BBC Singers (men's voices)
Northern Sinfonia
John Harle (conductor).

[Chris Newman]

Prom 25: Tuesday 2nd August at 10.15 Percy Grainger and Friends

Well that was fun. After the lovely Elgar in the earlier concert it was great to hear Grainger getting fuller treatment. Shallow Brown was the highlight as always.

[pilamenon]

Shallow Brown was the highlight as always.

June Tabor - what a moving rendition.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've merged the two threads for simplification.

E.A.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I see there's yet another here on the World Music forum

[Quarky]

I've merged the two threads for simplification.

E.A.

OK, but the other thread seemed to be exclusively Elgar Violin Concerto. So not much comment on Grainger or Tickell.

But I have to thank Kathryn Tickell for four things (at least):
1. Introduction to Northumbrian small pipes
2. Introduction to the more interesting compositions of Percy Grainger
3. Possible hypothesis that sea shanties have a basis in north country folk tunes
4. Introduction to a warm hearted entertainer, without pretentions.

[Anna]

I didn't hear this broadcast, but I see it is on BBC4 this evening, I'm interested because I've never really 'got' Grainger as regards to his folk music.

[JoeG]

I heard the concert and am looking forward to seeing it on BBC 4 tonight - glad you enjoyed Kathryn Tickell's contribution Oddball - one of the delights of being a folk music enthusiast is that the great majority of musicians playing folk and acoustic music are extremely nice, unpretentious, and often highly charismatic, people.

At the Hartlepool Folk Club which I attended in my late teens, and where I learned my love of this music, sea shanties were very commonly sung - not sure if their roots are there though.

[Quarky]

I heard the concert and am looking forward to seeing it on BBC 4 tonight -.

A very enjoyable concert. I didn't buy a season ticket to the Proms this year, being too busy elsewhere, but concerts like this make me regret the decision.

[Chris Newman]

The BBC 4 version is as much fun as the radio version.

[Lateralthinking1]

This was a good concert with performers I respect and a composer/collector of music whose work I admire. The Guardian reviewer gave it five stars out of five. However, one of the readers commented that it would have benefited from being longer. It lasted only slightly over the hour.

I think I agree with him. The calibre of June Tabor and Kathryn Tickell is such that they would have used any additional time purposefully. As it was, we were a little teased with what seemed like half a music story.

Tabor did her very best "severe" and it is always a wonder. There was though scope perhaps for her to move onto some lighter shades. Similarly the Tickell Band, along with the Wilson Family, found a suitable pace in the material. There was still a feeling that they had to finish just as they had got into their stride.

[BudgieJane]

This was a good concert with performers I respect and a composer/collector of music whose work I admire. The Guardian reviewer gave it five stars out of five. However, one of the readers commented that it would have benefited from being longer. It lasted only slightly over the hour.

Small problem with that: people have to get home, and have to be careful about last buses and trains, and for those of us who park our cars in Hyde Park, the park closes at midnight.