Mid-morning Proms - what do you think?

[alywin]

I've been struck by the number of Proms on around 11 am, usually on a Sunday, this year. They seem to be followed by a very long gap before the "evening" Prom, rather longer than I'd have thought necessary for the next orchestra to rehearse. I was wondering what people thought about the relative timings, especially if they are Promming. I mean, your Saturday night concert finishes at maybe 10 pm, then you have to be back in the queue for something like 9.30 the next morning? And/or then killing time until perhaps 5.30 or so on the Sunday evening? Do you like it, or do you find it annoying, or what?

[alywin]

I'm guessing that nobody cares, then :) For my part, those early Proms have totally discouraged me from buying weekend Promming passes which I might otherwise have bought: I really didn't want to spend effectively more or less all of 2+ days hanging around the RAH.

[LMcD]

It's not that I don't care it's just that I think you have very clearly pointed out the drawbacks and further comment seemed superfluous. I suppose I COULD plan a Sunday in London centred on a mid-morning and an evening Prom, but - at least where I live -Sunday train travel is NEVER straightforward. As for an 11.00 a.m. start on a weekday, I'd probably be unable to buy a reasonably priced train ticket, at least for the inward journey, since at least part of it would be during peak time.

[alywin]

Thanks, but my point of view is very much that of someone who lives in outer London. Perhaps it's different, say for people who come in from outside, and/or who are staying in central London? They can just go back to their digs, or I suppose go off and have a late Sunday lunch, and find something else to fill in the day? And again it must depend on whether you have a proper ticket, or are Promming, so need to factor in queuing. For me, it's long enough that I'd probably go home (on a Travelcard, it doesn't matter) and then come back up again, but it's an awful fag, and not something I'd want to do unless both concerts were very special.

[PhilipT]

Thanks, but my point of view is very much that of someone who lives in outer London. Perhaps it's different, say for people who come in from outside, and/or who are staying in central London? They can just go back to their digs, or I suppose go off and have a late Sunday lunch, and find something else to fill in the day? And again it must depend on whether you have a proper ticket, or are Promming, so need to factor in queuing. For me, it's long enough that I'd probably go home (on a Travelcard, it doesn't matter) and then come back up again, but it's an awful fag, and not something I'd want to do unless both concerts were very special.

Bear in mind that the rules for Promming now are that you collect a raffle ticket from a Steward at any time after 9a.m., and can then disappear until lining-up time. The one raffle ticket covers both concerts. You don't need to be physically in the queue all day - you can go off to lunch or a museum or whatever just like the people in the posh seats, provided you're back an hour or so before the concert is due to start. Lining-up time can vary; ask the Steward who gives you the raffle ticket. Some people do hang around all day, for reasons of infirmity or lack of money or a desire to socialise with other Prommers, but it's not required.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Mid-morning proms - great idea if you’re performing, not living in town, and dependent on public transport to get you there for a 9am seating rehearsal - yes, proms don’t “just happen”.

[alywin]

Ouch, yes, I hadn't thought of that. Even worse than (presumably?) having to get there by 9.45 to form the Promming queues.

Enjoy Joyce DiDonato, those of you who are attending.

[bluestateprommer]

I've been struck by the number of Proms on around 11 am, usually on a Sunday, this year. They seem to be followed by a very long gap before the "evening" Prom, rather longer than I'd have thought necessary for the next orchestra to rehearse.

Not necessarily, because to allow for something like a 3-hour rehearsal for an orchestra, if they have a Prom that evening, the rehearsal time slot would need to be something like 2 PM-5 PM. To clear the RAH before a 2 PM rehearsal, it would be best to have the previous group cleared out by something like 1:30. All the RAH staff then need time to set out the orchestra's parts and set everything up for the next group. If one wants to have 2 orchestral Proms in a day, then from the logisitical POV, something like an 11 AM Prom is the most convenient way to do it, before the evening Prom at either 7:30 PM or 8 PM.

This is obviously an inconvenience for audience members coming in from a distance who wish to Prom and catch an interesting concert earlier on a Sunday. The alternatives would be either (a) an organ recital at something like 12 noon, or (2) not to do 2 Proms on a Sunday. Or, come to think of it, the other idea would be to flip the format, and to do an orchestral concert in the mid-afternoon, and have an organ recital in the evening. If the idea is multiple Proms at the RAH in one day, there is no single solution that will satisfy everyone.