Prom 75 - Last Night of the Proms 14.09.19

[Master Jacques]

I don’t agree a few years ago LNOTP was seriously dumbed down . Traditionally , there was a concerto in the first half and that has now been replaced by endless bitty pieces and musical theatre items have become pretty much standard .

How that concert would have been improved with say one of the BBC New Generation Artists playing a concerto.

My heart is with you. But we can't go back to "proper" last nights, of course. Time has moved on since 1966 and Sir Malcolm. But I wonder if it's time to draw stumps on this increasingly strident celebration of ... well, of what? I couldn't help hearing that the biggest cheers were reserved for that famously patriotic British number 'I got rhythm', by our greatest modern composer, Sir George Gershwin, belted by a mezzo soprano in carnival dress. There were also embedded lectures on sexual preference, international trade and the iniquity of patriotism.

All that's fine, good and modern. I don't disagree with a jot of it. But isn't it time to admit that the concept of Last Night of the Proms has now been stretched to a point where the whole thing is no better than an embarrassing parody, as well as (almost entirely) a music-free zone?

[DracoM]

Agree 100%

[John Locke]

I couldn't help hearing that the biggest cheers were reserved for that famously patriotic British number 'I got rhythm', by our greatest modern composer, Sir George Gershwin, belted by a mezzo soprano in carnival dress.

Is this the future - luring new audiences in with more popular items? They come, but prefer the new popular musical items and are less eager to listen to the more traditional fare at the Proms or on Radio 3? They then have to be retained by increasing the 'novelty acts'? Off with the old and on with the new. It sometimes seems that way to me.

[Oakapple]

At least Jamie Barton sang the last three notes of each verse correctly in Rule Britannia, unlike many of her predecessors; they are not the same as the last three notes of the chorus. Sang (this strain) is sung to a lower note than will (be slaves). But if we really want to be authentic, the original words are "sung this strain". But that sounds wrong to us now so maybe we shouldn't adhere slavishly to old uses of English.

[Master Jacques]

But that sounds wrong to us now so maybe we shouldn't adhere slavishly to old uses of English.

Britons never, never, never (should) be slavish!

[DracoM]

Is this the future - luring new audiences in with more popular items? They come, but prefer the new popular musical items and are less eager to listen to the more traditional fare at the Proms or on Radio 3? They then have to be retained by increasing the 'novelty acts'? Off with the old and on with the new. It sometimes seems that way to me.

And that's the key: there is apparently precious LITTLE carry of audiences on any scale from the poppy end to the classical end.
The BBC seem increasingly caught between two stepping stones across the beck, and risk crashing into the drink below.

For me - and I like music of all kinds - the RAH is just NOT the place for the pop / R2 Friday Night is Music Night tedium.

Now, if the first half of a concert was Mahler 4th, and the second Nina Simone Memory Night, it'd be interesting to see how the audience changed!!

[PhilipT]

Proper fare for ‘Proms in the(ir respective) park(s)’ if they insist on continuing these!

Oh I hope they do! Proms in the Park does wonders at keeping the "Last Night only" crowd out of the Hall.

In my humble opinion, the Last Night (or, at any rate, the second half) should be a let-your-hair-down end-of-term party. I don't much like it when it's used as a platform for political viewpoints, even when they are viewpoints I agree with.

[Master Jacques]

The diversification of the whole 'Last Night' business, with Proms in the Park and all those local variants (including at certain times, a Northern England one to add to Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland) is a most interesting cultural phenomenon. It seems to embody a recognition that London can no longer speak for the whole country, as the capital so confidently did in the post-war years, until around about the millennium.

The Albert Hall Last Night is really now (whatever nods there might be towards the rest of the UK) a carnival celebration of London, with its colourful multiculturalism and global inclusion. The national elements have been exported to the regional Proms in the Park, so the London Last Night of the Proms no longer functions as a musical expression of a united kingdom - more an embarrassed acknowledgement that such united musical expression is simply no longer possible.

[Ein Heldenleben]

The diversification of the whole 'Last Night' business, with Proms in the Park and all those local variants (including at certain times, a Northern England one to add to Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland) is a most interesting cultural phenomenon. It seems to embody a recognition that London can no longer speak for the whole country, as the capital so confidently did in the post-war years, until around about the millennium.

The Albert Hall Last Night is really now (whatever nods there might be towards the rest of the UK) a carnival celebration of London, with its colourful multiculturalism and global inclusion. The national elements have been exported to the regional Proms in the Park, so the London Last Night of the Proms no longer functions as a musical expression of a united kingdom - more an embarrassed acknowledgement that such united musical expression is simply no longer possible.

Interesting point - perhaps there should be an ‘English’ outside broadcast location from say Stow-on-the Wold ? Unless some one has a better location ?

[Constantbee]

The Beatitudes

Sorry? What are they? Please explain.

[vinteuil]

Sorry? What are they? Please explain.

.

... bless you!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatitudes

,

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Sorry? What are they? Please explain.

From the Sermon on the Mount - "Blessed are they that mourn" etc (but not "the cheesemakers"); pronounced "bee attitudes". So Christ's definite "they shall see God" becomes merely a hopeful "they will see God" in the newer translation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatitudes

[vinteuil]

From the Sermon on the Mount - "Blessed are they that mourn" etc (but not "the cheesemakers")

...as in -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xLUEMj6cwA

Blessed be the Baby Cheeses, though...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLFQd8OjU90

.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Also detailed is Wood's "Fantasia on Welsh Melodies," these including "All Through the Night," "The Ash-grove," "David of the White Rock," "Men of Harlech" and "God Bless the Prince of Wales." Again, Newmarch praises Wood's orchestration as "scintillating, with brilliant effects." This too was first played in 1909 and, like the "Scottish" Fantasia, had lots of performances until 1929, since when it has not been heard again. I think both "Fantasias" could merit a revival, perhaps by the BBC's own Scottish and Welsh orchestras respectively when they appear at the Proms. Something novel for next year, perhaps?

What a good idea. I'd love to hear them. But does the music still exist?

[Master Jacques]

From the Sermon on the Mount - "Blessed are they that mourn" etc (but not "the cheesemakers"); pronounced "bee attitudes". So Christ's definite "they shall see God" becomes merely a hopeful "they will see God" in the newer translation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatitudes

I can't resist plugging Bliss's excellent choral cantata The Beatitudes, written for the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, which had a super performance in the Barbican a couple of years ago, now released on Chandos. Full of good stuff. Should be done at the Proms, but never has been.