Prom 70 (3.9.12): Desert Island Discs 70th-Anniversary Prom

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Monday 3 September at 7.30 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

In a celebration of the 70th anniversary of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Kirsty Young interviews guests from the series and introduces the most popular music choices, including Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565), Coates’s ‘The Dam Busters’ March and The Sleepy Lagoon; and excerpts from Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Concerto, Coleridge-Taylor’s The Death of Minnehaha, Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Handel’s Messiah, Puccini’s Madam Butterfly and Tosca, plus arrangements of favourite Beatles songs.

Kirsty Young presenter
Ailish Tynan soprano
Nicolas Altstaedt cello
Peter Donohoe piano
Wayne Marshall organ
Sir Willard White bass-baritone
Huddersfield Choral Society
BBC Concert Orchestra
Keith Lockhart conductor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I caught the beginning of Part (Episode?) 2 of this concert, and heard the theme from Match of the Day - except that they chopped off the strange ending that modulates up a tone.

[Nick Armstrong]

I caught a few minutes towards the end and happily chanced upon a wonderful anecdote about Oliver Reed recounted by John Sessions. Made me laugh out loud

(Worth spinning through to find it - not far from the end, I think it was about 9.40pm - just before a pair of Puccini arias)

[Flay]

I'm no expert but I thought it a ripping Toccata & Fugue!

[Vile Consort]

Over in a flash I imagine, given who the organist was!

[Keraulophone]

I'm no expert but I thought it a ripping Toccata & Fugue!

No expert would have played/disfigured it like that. As for ripping, did I hear the score ripped up and purists ripping their hair out?

Was Wayne Marshall trying to out-Liberace Cameron Carpenter?

[mozart79]

I was at this have to say it was a good selection of music and guest only thing that ruined really is the fact it over ran by half a hour not good if you have to get a train out of London

[Flay]

No expert would have played/disfigured it like that. As for ripping, did I hear the score ripped up and purists ripping their hair out?

Was Wayne Marshall trying to out-Liberace Cameron Carpenter?

Well as I said, I'm no expert...

However it sounded OK at full blast on the car radio. Perhaps I was in the best venue for such a prom?

[doversoul1]

I can’t quite see why a radio programme needs to be ‘celebrated’ at the Proms, but if there are reasons, why not a programme from Radio3, the ‘Home of the Proms’? (Not enough celebrities, I suppose…)

[Vile Consort]

It could have been worse. It could have been Just a Minute or You and Yours.

[cloughie]

They have bleeding chunks and celebrity stuff everywhere else on R3 so no surprise to see it at the Proms.