Prom 65 - 05.09.14: Paloma Faith, Guy Barker Orchestra, Urban Voices Collective

[Old Grumpy]

Apologies if this has already been posted - I can't find it anywhere.

Paloma Faith singer, Proms debut artist
Ty Taylor vocalist
Urban Voices Collective
Guy Barker Orchestra
Guy Barker conductor




Stay on after the Berliner Philharmoniker’s evening concert for a special Late Night Prom by Brit Award-nominated artist Paloma Faith, fêted for her sleek vocals and retro style.

This Prom sees the British singer-songwriter joined by a 42-piece jazz orchestra and the elite Urban Voices Collective for a performance that includes new arrangements of songs from her first two, double-platinum-selling albums, as well as from her most recent release, A Perfect Contradiction. A one-off performance striking an intimate mood in the Royal Albert Hall.

No, I didn't know who the woman in the picture was either. Anyone planning to listen to/watch this (it's screened simultaneously on BBC4)? The little snippets heard in the trail are moderately intriguing.

OG

[Flosshilde]

I thought I'd give it a try (like OG I thought the snippets on the trailer were interesting) but it seems (after one song) that it's nothing exceptional. But she has just said that nothing tonight is typical of her (or words to that effect) so it's probably not a very good way to discover what she's like.

[Alison]

Quickly bored.

[Serial_Apologist]

What is that fine gifted jazz trumpet man Guy Barker doing, offering MOR stuff such as this?

Oh, I remember...

[Flosshilde]

I've decided to abandon it & listen to the Archers instead

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Thanks for posting this, OG. I really do seem to have forgotten to do this one. It wasn't deliberate - honestly. Though I suppose if I were going to accidentally miss a concert, this would be a prime candidate.

[pastoralguy]

Paloma Faith, A OK! Mrs. PG and I have seen her live and she's terrific.


The crowd seem to be having a great time. Obviously, it's not coming over the radio well.

[Old Grumpy]

Paloma Faith, A OK! Mrs. PG and I have seen her live and she's terrific.


The crowd seem to be having a great time. Obviously, it's not coming over the radio well.

Probably better on the telly. Certainly helped by a

[Nick Armstrong]

Probably better on the telly. Certainly helped by a

Opted for Missa Solemnis instead. Call me shallow.

[jayne lee wilson]

Well, via BBC4 I had a go... and in perfect settings - piecing a salad together, sipping wine, letting the songs drift through or belt out... but I didn't enjoy Only Love Can Hurt like this, Can't rely or Picking up the Pieces as much as I had watching her official videos on Youtube... Her stage persona was very fetching, joking about lowering the tone of the RAH by getting the audience to karaoke along... but she didn't seem to use her voice as well as on those videos (surprise) or on Late Junction a while back... amazing hair though. I couldn't even see where the extensions begin.

Bit of a dull night Promswise, then... less than gripping pop classics from Berlin and a slightly nervous Paloma giving us a potpourri of her jazzy, poppy blues - and no, I didn't change my mind watching her - she's great but she doesn't belong at The Proms - or if Paloma does, then what doesn't? The Radio Times says re BBC4: "Beethoven and Paloma Faith on the same night? It serves to show the sheer variety offered by The Proms.." No, what it's really doing is shutting true variety and innovation out.

No doubt Mr Controller and the rest will think how cool an evening is that, so sleek and glossy, Simon Rattle's Berliners at one end and Paloma at the other... but sadly, in their different ways both were a kind of spiritual betrayal.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Extremely succinctly put, Jayne - as ever.

[Lento]

Opted for Missa Solemnis instead. Call me shallow.[/COLOR]

Poor Paloma scored a stonking one star in the Times review. Seldom awarded for a Prom, I would have thought. Haven't heard it, so no further comment.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/music/proms/article4200227.ece

[pureimagination]

As I've posted elsewhere I think it has to be accepted that the Proms are never going to be a strictly classical event despite the claims (The World's Greatest Classical Music Festival). I still find there's plenty for me to enjoy so I still attend and listen. The stuff I don't like or don't want to hear I avoid. The Proms organisers will probably continue to do their own thing, ignore the protestations and we will no doubt be having the same conversations next year.

As for Paloma Faith, not everyone's cup of tea, not mine (prefer Laura Mvula, prefer original not retro soul) but if she's been asked by the organisers to perform then so be it.

[french frank]

Poor Paloma scored a stonking one star in the Times review.

And by Clive Davis who isn't one of the classical reviewers (I know him as a world music critic). But he couldn't have been much more scathing - judging from the opening paragraph which is all I can view. But it's an argument that both sides are keen to 'win'. She did manage 3 stars in the Guardian. Can't spot on from the Telegraph (?)

[jayne lee wilson]

Poor Paloma scored a stonking one star in the Times review. Seldom awarded for a Prom, I would have thought. Haven't heard it, so no further comment.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/m...cle4200227.ece

Oh, go easy on the poor girl... as I said above, she did seem a bit overwhelmed by the occasion...

You just hope The Management give some reflective thought to it all...