Prom 24 - 31.07.13: British Light Music

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

7.00pm – c. 9.15pm
Royal Albert Hall

Bantock
Pierrot of the Minute (12 mins)
Elgar
Nursery Suite (22 mins)
Arnold
Concerto for two pianos (three hands) (13 mins)
INTERVAL
Walton
Crown Imperial (7 mins)
Coates
The Three Elizabeths (20 mins)
Arnold
English Dances, Set I, Op. 27 (13 mins)
Gordon Langford
Medley ‘Say it with Music’ (7 mins)

Noriko Ogawa piano
Kathryn Stott piano
BBC Concert Orchestra
Barry Wordsworth conductor

The BBC Concert Orchestra and their Conductor Laureate Barry Wordsworth demonstrate their versatility in a mixed programme celebrating British music of different styles, including pieces written by Walton and Coates used to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 60 years ago, and Elgar's Nursery Suite, dedicated in 1931 to the Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth and their mother Elizabeth. The orchestra are joined by pianists Noriko Ogawa and Kathryn Stott in Malcolm Arnold's unashamedly attractive concerto and the programme ends with a celebration of old BBC radio signature tunes woven together in a medley by master arranger Gordon Langford.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There cannot be many people around today who have attended a true Elgar premiere. Apart from the Queen, I wonder how many others have...

[mrbouffant]

I am looking forward to this concert very much, but would you really call some of this stuff 'Light Music' ?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

That was my reaction too.

[Serial_Apologist]

I am looking forward to this concert very much, but would you really call some of this stuff 'Light Music' ?

It would have been at one time. Which particular piece(s) are you thinking of, MrB?

[VodkaDilc]

There cannot be many people around today who have attended a true Elgar premiere. Apart from the Queen, I wonder how many others have...

It would have been nice if she had gone to this concert. Has she ever been to a Prom?

[PhilipT]

It would have been nice if she had gone to this concert. Has she ever been to a Prom?

Oh yes! On the last occasion, Nicholas Kenyon led her along the rail at the interval and introduced the Prommers.

[salymap]

I think only the Langford is strictly 'light music' Nice programme though and I thought for a moment it was to be on BBC2 - no R2 that night as well.

It will be good to hear the concerto 'for Phyllis and Cyril' and I'm very fond of the Elgar Nursery Suite, one of my very first records.

[mrbouffant]

It would have been at one time. Which particular piece(s) are you thinking of, MrB?

Well being an Arnoldphile, I suppose I am slightly sensitive to the dumbing-down of that particular composer. The English Dances were written as a kind of mirror to Dvorak's Slavonic Dances - do we treat the latter as 'Light Music'? The 3-handed piano concerto is also a long way from being a piece of incidental fluff - perhaps the irony of the final movement is lost on the Proms organisers - if Shostakovitch had written it they would all be hailing it as the work of a genius, borne of political and artistic repression etc etc.

Then again, I am grateful for any Arnold at the Proms, so I shan't moan too much... ;)

[BBMmk2]

I am really looking forward to tonight's prom. On Radio 3 Breakfast they had a movement from Arnold's Guitar Concerto or was his Serenade(cant remember?). Perhaps someone will let us know?

[mercia]

Serenade for guitar and strings opus 50 (answer to question in last post)

[Petrushka]

The Queen must surely be the only living person to have seen Elgar conduct...unless anyone knows differently.

I did meet Sidonie Goossens (harpist in the original BBCSO) when she was 92 but unfortunately forgot to ask her about Elgar.

[mrbouffant]

I am really looking forward to tonight's prom. On Radio 3 Breakfast they had a movement from Arnold's Guitar Concerto or was his Serenade(cant remember?). Perhaps someone will let us know?

The Guitar Concerto is a masterpiece, IMO. I fondly remember Prom 2 in 1991 where Julian Bream played it with the BBC Concert Orchestra under Barry Wordsworth. There is a clip of it somewhere on YouTube I think...

[salymap]

The Queen must surely be the only living person to have seen Elgar conduct...unless anyone knows differently.

I did meet Sidonie Goossens (harpist in the original BBCSO) when she was 92 but unfortunately forgot to ask her about Elgar.

As Elgar died nearly 80years ago I doubt that anyone can remember him conducting. Sargent's son went with his father to see Elgar, but I think it was in Elgar's last year or two. Anyway Peter Sargent has recently died.

The Queen must have been very small when she went with her sister and mother to hear the Nursery Suite.

[Pabmusic]

...The Queen must have been very small when she went with her sister and mother to hear the Nursery Suite.

It was at the Kingsway Hall on 31 May 1931.