Prom 59: Relaxed Prom – 27.08.18

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

16:15
Royal Albert Hall



James Redwood presenter
BSO Resound* ensemble
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Sian Edwards conductor
James Rose* conductor

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with Royal Albert Hall Education & Outreach and Proms Learning, present orchestral music in an informal setting. Everyone is welcome: family members of all ages, children, young people and adults with autism, sensory and communication impairments and learning disabilities, as well as individuals who are Deaf or hearing impaired, blind or visually impaired, and those living with dementia. There is a relaxed attitude to movement and noise, plus ‘chill-out’ spaces outside the auditorium. The Prom features picture communication systems on large screens, audio description and British Sign Language interpretation. The orchestra is joined by its groundbreaking disabled-led ensemble, BSO Resound.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This concert appears to have been well thought out - this year.

[BBMmk2]

A very interesting venture this. I was in psychiatric nursing for thirty years so, with the dementia side of things, I’m rather interested in this. Pity they won’t have on tv.

[PhilipT]

A very interesting venture this. I was in psychiatric nursing for thirty years so, with the dementia side of things, I’m rather interested in this. Pity they won’t have on tv.

There is a note in the Guide that it will be available to watch on the Proms website.

I went to last year's, which was more child-oriented - there's a video here - and sat at the back of the Arena. I thought it worked well. The stewarding was very hands-off - no-one minded a girl doing cartwheels in the Arena before it filled up; the chill-out areas were plentiful and well-marked - there was even a "baby feeding room" on the Grand Tier level. Certainly there were some in the audience who - oh dear! how do I put this tactfully? - would never have been taken to an ordinary concert. There were some nice twists - e.g. 'The Flight of the Bumblebee' with the piccolo player dressed as a bumblebee. One very young lady who was there with her grandmother made it clear to me that she wanted to come again. It was hardly noteworthy as a concert but as an outreach attempt it was very successful.

[BBMmk2]

Thanks for that PT.

[bluestateprommer]

First, it's worth noting that Louise Fryer is back in the presenter's box, after what seems like a long absence, AFAICT. As she noted at the outset, she's describing for the radio audience the stuff that we can't see, in terms of the stage management and audiovisual aids. She also noted the high presence of children, in keeping with that PhilipT said about last year's Relaxed Prom. The first two musical selections, from DSCH and Tchaikovsky, were nicely done. In keeping with what PhilipT noted about last year's concert, it's clearly not the point of this concert to present something like the BBC SSO "London Symphonies" Prom, but more for outreach.

[Darkbloom]

There is a note in the Guide that it will be available to watch on the Proms website.

I went to last year's, which was more child-oriented - there's a video here - and sat at the back of the Arena. I thought it worked well. The stewarding was very hands-off - no-one minded a girl doing cartwheels in the Arena before it filled up; the chill-out areas were plentiful and well-marked - there was even a "baby feeding room" on the Grand Tier level. Certainly there were some in the audience who - oh dear! how do I put this tactfully? - would never have been taken to an ordinary concert. There were some nice twists - e.g. 'The Flight of the Bumblebee' with the piccolo player dressed as a bumblebee. One very young lady who was there with her grandmother made it clear to me that she wanted to come again. It was hardly noteworthy as a concert but as an outreach attempt it was very successful.

It must be a proud moment for any professional. You spend years studying and mastering your instrument. You reach the pinnacle of your profession. Then someone hands you a bumblebees outfit and tells you to perform in front of a bunch of listless spectators and cartwheeling children.

[MrGongGong]

It must be a proud moment for any professional. You spend years studying and mastering your instrument. You reach the pinnacle of your profession. Then someone hands you a bumblebees outfit and tells you to perform in front of a bunch of listless spectators and cartwheeling children.

Better than playing to a room full of snoring fossils I would say

[jayne lee wilson]

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing....
The Great Lenny!

"I hate music, but I like to sing
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
But that's not music!
Not what I call music, no sir!

Music is a lot of men with a lot of tails
Making lots of noise like a lot of females
Music is a lot of folks in a big dark hall
Where they really don't want to be at all
With a lot of chairs
And a lot of heirs
And a lot of furs and diamonds!
Music is silly

I hate music, but I like to sing"

[Stunsworth]

It must be a proud moment for any professional. You spend years studying and mastering your instrument. You reach the pinnacle of your profession. Then someone hands you a bumblebees outfit and tells you to perform in front of a bunch of listless spectators and cartwheeling children.

Given that hat they spend the rest of the year dressed up like a Victorian waiter it probably comes as something of a relief.

[oddoneout]

It must be a proud moment for any professional. You spend years studying and mastering your instrument. You reach the pinnacle of your profession. Then someone hands you a bumblebees outfit and tells you to perform in front of a bunch of listless spectators and cartwheeling children.

The wrapping is irrelevant(and I doubt in any case it involved press-ganging); even if it means that only one child(or adult) is introduced to the enormous wealth of music that exists behind the barrier of the term 'classical music' (with or without 'concert') then it will have been worth doing. For many players it can be a rewarding experience playing to non-typical audiences, and something they choose to do. Why shouldn't such listeners have high quality performances?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The wrapping is irrelevant(and I doubt in any case it involved press-ganging); even if it means that only one child(or adult) is introduced to the enormous wealth of music that exists behind the barrier of the term 'classical music' (with or without 'concert') then it will have been worth doing. For many players it can be a rewarding experience playing to non-typical audiences, and something they choose to do.

As one who was press-ganged into wearing a stupid red T-shirt when playing in a children's concert, I would beg to differ. Most of the orchestra thought that dressing a group of (sometimes) overweight, middle-aged people in kids' summer school uniform was rather pathetic. And to think, we could've worn bin liners and looked like Nigel Kennedy.

[Darkbloom]

The wrapping is irrelevant(and I doubt in any case it involved press-ganging); even if it means that only one child(or adult) is introduced to the enormous wealth of music that exists behind the barrier of the term 'classical music' (with or without 'concert') then it will have been worth doing. For many players it can be a rewarding experience playing to non-typical audiences, and something they choose to do. Why shouldn't such listeners have high quality performances?

I don't think there is a more important activity than music education, especially these days, but there are professionals involved in this and it should be left to them. How many people will be brought to classical music because of some silly gimmick? Hardly any, probably. Yet we know that many people were introduced to it by a programme like Pied Piper. People aren't idiots to be talked down to. If you try and pretend it's pop music you're simply being dishonest.

I don't know how much pressure is exerted on someone in that situation but it doesn't have to be explicit. I'm sure they didn't want to get a reputation as not a 'team player'. Maybe I'm wrong, though, and this is quite common, and Karajan regularly asked James Galway to dress up as a leprechaun for children's concerts.

[MrGongGong]

I don't think there is a more important activity than music education, especially these days, but there are professionals involved in this and it should be left to them. How many people will be brought to classical music because of some silly gimmick?

It's all a "silly gimmick" you know, folks dressing up in daft archaic costumes to play music
Which bit exactly do you mean is a "silly gimmick" anyway?

And spare us "Pied effing Piper"

"Pretend it's pop music" ?
Which bit?

Or are you taking a pop at Scriabin ?

I struggle to understand why a red T shirt is "stupid" ?
Though if its a sentient T Shirt I want one.

[Bryn]

It's all a "silly gimmick" you know, folks dressing up in daft archaic costumes to play music . . .

But MrGG, people are very fond of penguins.