Music

Monday Mood, 5.8.19: The Proms

Happy Monday everyone!

The Proms season is in full swing and I am in classical heaven! 🎼 🎶

Founded in 1895 and held annually over an eight week summer season, the Proms is a classical feast consisting of concerts held at the stunning Royal Albert Hall, Chamber music concerts, held at Cadogan Hall and the Proms in the Park, which takes place on the Last Night of the Proms.

In 1894, impresario Robert Newman expressed to Henry Wood, who was to become conductor of the first Proms concert, his vision of the future of these concerts:

“I am going to run nightly concerts and train the public by easy stages. Popular at first, gradually raising the standard until I have created a public classical and modern music.”

And indeed, it hasn’t disappointed! The Proms has become a significant event in classical culture.

As well as the main events, for the little adults, there is also a series of associated Relaxed Proms events, to include educational and children’s sessions with free ‘Try an Instrument’ workshops to develop coordination and awareness using songs and rhythms.

The Royal Albert Hall is one of my former places of work (although many years ago), and I was lucky enough to experience working through the Proms. As a classically trained pianist, working at the Royal Albert Hall AND during the Proms, was a dream come true. The experience was phenomenal and like no other and was no ordinary nine-to-five job! Working in spectacular surroundings with breathtaking views of the auditorium coupled with the overwhelming excitement of knowing the auditorium was going to be packed each evening with classical music and Jazz enthusiasts, was thrilling.

So, here are my recommendations for the 2019 Proms Season:

Prom 27 – The Sound of Space: Sci-Fi Film Music
Prom 29 and Prom 30 – The Warner Brothers story
Prom 40 – Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee
Prom 45 – A Portrait of Nina Simone
Prom 51 – The Magic Flute
Prom 54 – Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert
Prom 68 – Wagner Night
Prom 71 – Bach Night
Prom 74 – Beethoven Night

My personal favourites:
Prom 23 – Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff
Prom 26 – Mozart Requiem
Prom 28 – Rachmaninoff and Borodin

Two compositions I’ve chosen this week to listen to at your leisure is Elgar’s ‘Pomp and Circumstance’; a traditional feature of the Last Night of the Proms, and Rachmaninoff’s ‘Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini’, which is one of the compositions to be performed in Prom 23 this evening.

Prom 75, The Last Night of the Proms, will take place on 14th September. And if you can’t attend any of the Proms events, don’t worry, there is always the ‘Classical Spectacular’ evening in November. Details are in the link below.

Until next week!

Enjoy!
Eliza x

Full Proms Season Programme including 2019 events.
https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2019/

The Proms 2013 – Rachmaninoff

Last Night of the Proms 2014