Subtitles for televised Proms

[Nick Armstrong]

Is my memory playing tricks, or in previous years, did they not normally subtitle vocal and choral concerts when they were relayed on TV?

I certainly have a couple of recordings from the past with subtitles.

It's been disappointing this year that the Ireland "These things shall be", the Howells "Hymnus", Bernstein's "Mass" etc had no subtitles. Or were they a 'red button'-style option at the time of transmission - i.e. unavailable to anyone (like me) who watches them later on the PVR?

[VodkaDilc]

Is my memory playing tricks, or in previous years, did they not normally subtitle vocal and choral concerts when they were relayed on TV?

I certainly have a couple of recordings from the past with subtitles.

It's been disappointing this year that the Ireland "These things shall be", the Howells "Hymnus", Bernstein's "Mass" etc had no subtitles. Or were they a 'red button'-style option at the time of transmission - i.e. unavailable to anyone (like me) who watches them later on the PVR?

Isn't it a bit of an insult to the singers when English language works are subtitled? I try to avoid the wretched things when going to operas (the back few rows usually say "No surtitles"), since I find them a huge distraction.

[salymap]

I often use the subtitles but they have been hilarious recently. Someone's 'Sin Fanny' amd other grotesque
misspellings.

It's different for choral works which should be prepared in advance and yes, it would have been good to have them.

[doversoul1]

Isn't it a bit of an insult to the singers when English language works are subtitled? I try to avoid the wretched things when going to operas (the back few rows usually say "No surtitles"), since I find them a huge distraction.

Not all British listeners are native English speakers. I find subtitles very useful, as words in songs are often hard to catch.

[Nick Armstrong]

Not all British listeners are native English speakers. I find subtitles very useful, as words in songs are often hard to catch.

Indeed. And insult or not, vodka, with the standard of diction among singers in my recent experience, almost equally necessary when the sung language is English...

[Alf-Prufrock]

Or were they a 'red button'-style option at the time of transmission - i.e. unavailable to anyone (like me) who watches them later on the PVR?

Nearly all of us are now on digital television only, so we can switch the subtitles on or off at will with the red button, as you surmise. The problem does lie with recordings - I know of no recorder (I may be told I am wrong here) that allows you to record text information that you can equally switch on and off at will when you watch a recording.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Not all British listeners are native English speakers.

Very true. In Bridlington, no-one speaks English.