Surely the Proms is about more than the perfection and rarified atmosphere that this music usually aims for and sometimes achieves?
Seems to me it should be (radio 3 presenter led cheerleading aside) about things like enjoying music together. About seeing musicians we wouldnt normally be exposed to. About meeting people and enjoying music with them and learning from each other. It needs to be about spreading the word, and allowing people to discover things in an atmosphere ,and at a price that doesnt frighten them off.
On monday night myself and the six people around me heard Jonathan Dove's work for the first time, just yards from a fine orchestra and a conductor none of us had seen before. All seven of us enjoyed it, and went away to enjoy more of his music another time.
I' m sure the same thing happens day after day.
As you can tell, I am in a live and let live mood today. But the Proms , for all the things that I wish they would do, (Rubbra, Simpson, Arnold, Guarnieri etc etc etc) usually make me feel like that.
Seems to me it should be (radio 3 presenter led cheerleading aside) about things like enjoying music together. About seeing musicians we wouldnt normally be exposed to. About meeting people and enjoying music with them and learning from each other. It needs to be about spreading the word, and allowing people to discover things in an atmosphere ,and at a price that doesnt frighten them off.
On monday night myself and the six people around me heard Jonathan Dove's work for the first time, just yards from a fine orchestra and a conductor none of us had seen before. All seven of us enjoyed it, and went away to enjoy more of his music another time.
I' m sure the same thing happens day after day.
As you can tell, I am in a live and let live mood today. But the Proms , for all the things that I wish they would do, (Rubbra, Simpson, Arnold, Guarnieri etc etc etc) usually make me feel like that.
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