Prom 74: Saturday 10th September at 7.30 p.m. (Last Night of the Proms)

[Prommer]

Well MrGongGong, all things go in and out of fashion. Perhaps beyond your ken, or desire to admit, there are many people who still do associate themselves with the values expressed in some of the '1950s style English event'. They would also far prefer that than the kind of relevant modern celebration of the world around us (in a very real sense) that it could be you might prefer. I wonder why?!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

but not the dreadful sea songs please no

So enlighten me - objectively please. Why is "Panic" better than the Sea Songs? (apart form the fact that hardly anyone would want to listen to the former).

[Anna]

I've been out walking all afternoon, so quite exhausted and will probably turn on the television for Last Night, having the remote handy to silence it before You'll Never Walk Alone and Climb Every Mountain. I doubt if the sound will come back on but I'm quite interested to see if any of our regulars in the front row will catch the eye of the cameras.

[MrGongGong]

So enlighten me - objectively please. Why is "Panic" better than the Sea Songs? (apart form the fact that hardly anyone would want to listen to the former).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AlH2oYedfk

I rest my case

[Prommer]

This will annoy some, but doesn't Gardner look splendidly Sargent-like, down to a very fulsome carnation. No detachable stiff collar but apart from that we could be in the 50s...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AlH2oYedfk

I rest my case

MrGongGong. You're very naughty.

[Prommer]

Is the Rule Britannia in the Sargent arrangement? One assumes so, given Brunnhilde will be singing it.

[Prommer]

Where was the serenity in those last wonderful exhalations of the orchestra in the Gotterdammerung? The destiny leitmotif anyone?

[BudgieJane]

I'm quite interested to see if any of our regulars in the front row will catch the eye of the cameras.

Not me, because I'm not there.

[Bert Coules]

How nice to see Lang Lang acknowledging the applause from the people behind the stage. I wish every performer would do that.

[pilamenon]

We have a world premiere from one of the most eminent living composers

That must be a reference to 'Musica Benevolens' , almost enough to put me off music for the rest of my life.

Fortunately redeemed by that sensational performance of the Liszt by Lang Lang.

[french frank]

As has been pointed out previously on these boards, ticket income only covers about half the costs of the Proms. What the BBC have never revealed is the income they get from selling broadcast rights overseas (particularly for the Last Night), which one would imagine is not an insignificant sum.

Don't you have to pay to go to the Proms in the Park(s)? That would make quite a profit on the events themselves - I wonder whether that goes to offset the Official Proms or into some other pot.

It would be interesting to know where the revenue from broadcast rights goes too. After all, most of the so-called 'loss' comes out of Radio 3's budget. It wouldn't be quite the thing if indirect revenue was going to the commercial wing.

[BBMmk2]

This must be the worst LNOP ever!

[Bert Coules]

In those verses, I declare,
I hear the sounds of Rupert Bear.

[Prommer]

I have to say that, despite Mr Gardner's tailoring, it has been a dampus squibbus so far