Prom 76 - 13.09.14: The Last Night; BBC SO, Oramo

[Flay]

; He

Deity status for Oramo?

LNOTP embarasses me. It suggests to those who do not know classical music that its audience is made up of idiots and geeks.

Most of us aren't!

[Hornspieler]

Maybe cut the budget for the Proms if that's the issue. Give a decent wodge to Radio 2 and let them have a 10 day Showtime Festival or whatever. Lop off a week or two and lets than have a classical music festival pure and simple.

I accept there's some blurring of musical definitions and boundaries but Mary Poppins has bugger all to do with Radio 3 as I understood it. The LNOP would be a wonderful opportunity to introduce say a Mozart Piano Concerto. It's not just that we fill the Proms with rubbish, it's more that we waste golden opportunities to immerse folk in the real thing. Mr Oramo can say what he likes about music education; He and those who dream up the BBC proms need to consider their own contribution.

Well spoken Alison! The idea of airing 'populist' music on Radio 2 is a good one.

It occurs to me that at one time, we couild listen to Brass Bands**, "the Organist Entertains" and popular light music - a lot of it very worthy fare, like 'Housewives Choice' on Radio 2.

Jewells of the Madonna, Litolf Scherzo from Concerto Sinfonique, Robert Farnon, Eric Coates and the like. All attractive melodies to promote an interest in listeners to take the plunge and try the occasional Prom concert on Radio 3.

That would be a far more effective way of introducing new listeners to so-called "Classical Music" without upsetting the current group of commited listeners who object to having themselves "educated" to the joys of, for instance, Gordon Jacob's "Galloping Major" as an item in a symphony concert.

** I doubt if there are many Wurlitzer Cinema organs still in working order or people to play them, but I do miss Brass Bands.

Their instrumental expertise is phenominal. They have contributed some of our most famous Trombonists, Tuba (via B flat Bsss) Trumpeters (ex Cornet players) and conductors, composers and musical arrangers to our Symphony Orchestras and Chamber Music Ensembles. So I would certainly welcome at least one concert in the series to feature the likes of Black Dyke Mills, Fairy Aviation or Fodens Motor Works.

The Proms are at a crossroads. Let's fill in a few potholes and return to Sir Henry Wood's vision of what the public should be offered.

Have a good weekend and start planning for the future.

Hornspieler

[Nick Armstrong]

Deity status for Oramo?

LNOTP embarasses me. It suggests to those who do not know classical music that its audience is made up of idiots and geeks.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people still think that the season is that LNOTP programme repeated each night for two months, with flags and balloons and tw*ts, of which the last one just happens to get a broadcast.

I suppose I'd better shut up, it'll lead to even more trailers and plugging and simpering and gushing and SH*ITE !!

[VodkaDilc]

Jewells of the Madonna, Litolf Scherzo from Concerto Sinfonique, Robert Farnon, Eric Coates and the like. All attractive melodies to promote an interest in listeners to take the plunge and try the occasional Prom concert on Radio 3.


Hornspieler

I got to know the more popular Piano Concertos by listening to Semprini on Sunday afternoons on the Light Programme. His programme flowed on from Family Favourites and Billy Cotton and was part of Sunday afternoons across the country (not much else to do!).
I'd probably criticise his performances if I heard him today - but he had a vital role in educating listeners.

[Petrushka]

It never ceases to amaze me how many people still think that the season is that LNOTP programme repeated each night for two months, with flags and balloons and tw*ts, of which the last one just happens to get a broadcast.

Oh yes, I've had that for years. I try to explain to people but it never really gets through because they still make flag, balloon and bobbing up and down jokes.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It never ceases to amaze me how many people still think that the season is that LNOTP programme repeated each night for two months, with flags and balloons and tw*ts, of which the last one just happens to get a broadcast.

I suppose I'd better shut up, it'll lead to even more trailers and plugging and simpering and gushing and SH*ITE !!

Please don't mention this again. It might put ideas into their heads. The LNOTP is already a live version of In Tune. We don't want that throughout the Proms season.

[Petrushka]

Maybe cut the budget for the Proms if that's the issue. Give a decent wodge to Radio 2 and let them have a 10 day Showtime Festival or whatever. Lop off a week or two and lets than have a classical music festival pure and simple.

I accept there's some blurring of musical definitions and boundaries but Mary Poppins has bugger all to do with Radio 3 as I understood it. The LNOP would be a wonderful opportunity to introduce say a Mozart Piano Concerto. It's not just that we fill the Proms with rubbish, it's more that we waste golden opportunities to immerse folk in the real thing. Mr Oramo can say what he likes about music education; He and those who dream up the BBC proms need to consider their own contribution.

Radio 2 used to promote an International Light Music Festival with four weekly concerts in the Royal Festival Hall on Saturdays in June. My late parents took me to see Willi Boskovksy at one of these in 1975. These concerts, and Radio 2 programmes like Friday Night is Music Night, Listen to the Band, Marching and Waltzing, Torchlight on Music and Your Hundred Best Tunes provided many, including me, with a gateway into the wonders of classical music.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

They used to broadcast the G & S Prom on Radio 2 and, I think, the 2nd half of the Last Night.

[Petrushka]

They used to broadcast the G & S Prom on Radio 2 and, I think, the 2nd half of the Last Night.

They did, yes, and also the Viennese Prom.

[mercia]

I rather enjoyed Taillefer, it sounded pretty typical Strauss to me. wikipedia usefully tells me that Taillefer translates as Eisenhower and that the president's birthday fell on the same day as the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.

[richardfinegold]

I would have thought that my post, spoken tongue in cheek, might still have conveyed my message (that this season's Proms were but a shadow of former years) whilst highlighting the shortcomings of the programming, presentation and content of the last few weeks.

I have never considered it to be the duty of the BBC to convert people to classical music. Their promotion of "music" on Radio 1 and 2 must surely have an opposite effect.
No. Radio 3 should provide an opportunity for the broadcasting of music for those who already are devotees of classical music, drama, discussion and all the Arts - which was the original stated purpose of the BBC Third Programme.

So there is no place, in my view, for Mary Poppins, Ivor Novello or suchlike items that have crept into the Prom concert series. Those things belong on Radio 2.

This is a discussion forum. We may not agree with the opinions of others but we must respect their right to state them.

Yes. I am still around. Age has no relevance but my experience both as a performer and as an Arts Administrator, responsible for Budgetting, Scheduling, Auditioning and producing "the goods" for many distinguished conductors and solo performers is something which I feel is almost my duty to share with others.

Hornspieler

I for one hope that you will continue indefinitely.

[cloughie]

What embarrassing doggerel those Tim Rice lyrics resembled- an insult to the music.

Apparently these lyrics were written in 2009 for the Queen's jubilee - Out of interest what are the lyrics and is a printed version available?

[PJPJ]

Radio 2 used to promote an International Light Music Festival with four weekly concerts in the Royal Festival Hall on Saturdays in June. My late parents took me to see Willi Boskovksy at one of these in 1975. These concerts, and Radio 2 programmes like Friday Night is Music Night, Listen to the Band, Marching and Waltzing, Torchlight on Music and Your Hundred Best Tunes provided many, including me, with a gateway into the wonders of classical music.

I used to listen to R2 years ago; there was enough light music and comedy to keep me amused when I wanted that sort of thing. As long as R2 on iplayer includes HD sound I'm all for the idea for including the lighter fare there; at the moment I find the sound quality of R2 very poor indeed.

(I've edited this as the rest belongs in another thread.....)

[tigajen]

Bring back the Seasongs !

Swansea in the park had the hornpipe with Jennifer Pike as soloist.Also Rule Britannia sung by Bryn Terfel(in welsh)

[PhilipT]

Apparently these lyrics were written in 2009 for the Queen's jubilee - Out of interest what are the lyrics and is a printed version available?

Well, the lyrics were printed in the programme (price £4.00), but you may find it hard to get a copy now. For reasons of copyright I decline to post them here. Personally I did not think them doggerel, though Sir Tim clearly struggled to arrange the words to fit the music. The sentiment is that this country was once great, did not become so without much struggle and pain and lessons learned (or not learned), and (despite current appearances) has yet the potential to become great again.