76-497: The Midsummer Marriage is an opera in three acts, with music and libretto by Michael Tippett . The work's first performance was at Covent Garden , on 27 January 1955, conducted by John Pritchard . The reception of the opera was controversial, over confusion as to the libretto and Tippett's use of symbols and psychological references. The opera has received at least 10 more productions, in England, Wales, Scotland, Germany, Sweden and
152-583: A considerably cheaper option for the more popular events. Since most promming tickets cannot be bought until 10:30am on the morning of the concert (although there are full-season tickets and weekend passes available), they provide a way of attending otherwise sold-out concerts. In 2010, the Proms Archive was introduced on the BBC Proms webpage, to allow for a systematic searching of all works that have been performed and all artists who have appeared at
228-436: A hound chases a hare, but the hare escapes. In the second, an otter chases a fish, who hurts himself on the root of a tree. In the third, a bird with a broken wing is captured by a hawk. Bella is terrified by the rituals. Jack comforts her as she recomposes herself. Reassured, they resume their playful interlude and run off into the woods. King Fisher orders the group of young people to fetch Madame Sosostris, his clairvoyant. He
304-482: A knighthood in 1911. In 1914 anti-German feeling led Speyer to surrender his role, and music publishers Chappell & Co. took control of the concerts. Although Newman remained involved in artistic planning, it was Wood's name which became most closely associated with the Proms. As conductor from the first concert (which opened with Wagner's Rienzi overture) in 1895, Sir Henry was largely responsible for building
380-570: A separate concert work. The story of The Midsummer Marriage was consciously modeled after Mozart 's The Magic Flute . Both trace the path to marriage of one "royal" and one "common" couple: Jenifer and Mark correspond to Pamina and Tamino, the earthy Jack and Bella to Papageno and Papagena. King Fisher stands in for the Queen of the Night, the Ancients for Sarastro and his priests, and so on. But
456-486: A wider audience for concert hall music by offering low ticket prices and an informal atmosphere, where eating, drinking and smoking were permitted to the promenaders. He stated his aim to Henry Wood in 1894 as follows: 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 for classical and modern music. George Cathcart, an otolaryngologist , gave financial backing to Newman for
532-539: A wider geographical area within the host nations. All of these events were incorporated within BBC One's live coverage of the Last Night of the Proms, with live link-ups to each of the venues. However, some more traditional elements of the Last Night of the Proms (such as "Jerusalem", "Rule Britannia" and "Land of Hope and Glory") were removed on some years depending on local politics. As the popularity of Proms in
608-502: Is adorned with a laurel chaplet by representatives of the Promenaders, who often wipe an imaginary bead of sweat from his forehead or make some similar gentle, visual joke. As with the rest of the season, the cost of promming tickets (standing tickets) is just £8. Many consider these to be the best tickets due to the atmosphere of standing in the hall for up to three hours; albeit with a twenty-five minute interval. Another tradition
684-614: Is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London . Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the BBC has organised and broadcast The Proms. Each season consists of concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, chamber music concerts at Cadogan Hall (or occasionally other venues), additional Proms in
760-405: Is determined to thwart the Ancients, convinced that they are responsible for Jenifer's disappearance. The group returns with Sosostris, and King Fisher orders her to reveal Jenifer's location. She warns him against such inquiries into the dream world, but she reveals Jenifer to be lying in a meadow consorting with a winged lion who has the arms and face of a man. Enraged, King Fisher insists Sosostris
836-484: Is inspired by the Fisher King character mentioned in the same poem. Tippett was first given the idea of attempting a verse drama by reading Eliot's plays, and he corresponded with Eliot with a view to collaboration, tackling the libretto himself when Eliot declined. The Royal Opera House has mounted three productions of The Midsummer Marriage , in 1955, 1968 and 1996. The 1996 production was revived in 2005, to mark
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#1732784018363912-415: Is lying to him, and he attempts to unveil her. As he peels away her veils, they begin to glow. When he has stripped all the veils away, he finds an incandescent bud, which blossoms to reveal Mark and Jenifer. King Fisher aims his pistol at Mark, but the couple break from their meditative state to confront King Fisher, causing his heart to fail. The crowd carries his body into the temple. Strephon emerges from
988-559: Is no longer permitted) to ensure a good place to stand; the resulting camaraderie adds to the atmosphere. Some attend in fancy dress , from dinner jackets to patriotic T-shirts. Many use the occasion for an exuberant display of Britishness . Union Flags are waved by the Prommers, especially during "Rule, Britannia!". Other national flags, balloons, and party poppers are all welcomed – although John Drummond discouraged 'extraneous noise' during his tenure as director. Sir Henry Wood's bust
1064-440: Is set in a forest clearing, with a group of buildings to one side. The buildings resemble a sanctuary, with a Greek temple in the middle. A set of spiral stairs leads off to the right and breaks off in midair. To the left, they lead down into the hillside. The costumes are contemporary, aside from the dancers and the Ancients. A group of young people enters the clearing, surprised by the strange buildings. They hide as Strephon leads
1140-666: Is short for promenade concert , a term which originally referred to outdoor concerts in London's pleasure gardens , where the audience was free to stroll around while the orchestra was playing. In the context of the BBC Proms, promming refers to the use of the standing areas inside the hall (the Arena and Gallery) for which ticket prices are much lower than for the seating. Proms concert-goers, particularly those who stand, are sometimes referred to as "Prommers" or "Promenaders". Promenade concerts had existed in London's pleasure gardens since
1216-603: Is sung) and Henry Wood's " Fantasia on British Sea Songs ", followed by Thomas Arne 's " Rule, Britannia! ". The concert concludes with Hubert Parry 's " Jerusalem ", and the British national anthem , since 2010 in an arrangement by Benjamin Britten . The repeat of the Elgar march at the Last Night can be traced to the spontaneous audience demand for a double encore after its premiere at a 1901 Proms concert. The closing sequence of
1292-483: Is that near the end of the concert the conductor makes a speech thanking the musicians and audiences, mentioning the main themes of the season, noting the cumulative donation collected for the Promenaders' musical charities over the season, and announcing the date of the First Night for the following year. This tradition dates from 1941, when Sir Henry Wood gave the first such speech at the close of that season, which
1368-515: The BBC – later based at Broadcasting House next to the hall – took over the running of the concerts. This arose because William Boosey, then managing director of Chappell & Co. (the Prom. proprietors), detested broadcasting and saw the BBC's far-reaching demands and intentions in the control of musical presentation as a danger to the future of public concerts altogether. He decided to disband
1444-677: The Bedford Corn Exchange (home of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 1941) which hosted them until the end of the War. Sir Adrian Boult and Basil Cameron continued as conductors of the Promenade Concerts after the War, on their return to the Royal Albert Hall, until the advent of Malcolm Sargent as Proms chief conductor in 1947. Sargent held this post until 1966; his associate conductor from 1949 to 1959
1520-676: The London Sinfonietta and Philip Langridge and Lucy Shelton in the lead roles. Abroad, the opera has received at least five productions. The German premiere was on 29 September 1973, at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe with Lieselotte Rebmann as Jennifer. Another German production was at the Bayerische Staatsoper in 1998. Other productions have been at Stockholm in 1982, San Francisco in 1983, New York City Opera in 1993 and
1596-769: The Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2005. Concert performances have been given at the 1977 London Proms , which was given by the forces gathered for WNO's 1976 production, and in Boston in 2012. Andrew Davis 's concert performance at the BBC Proms in 2013 was rebroadcast on BBC Radio Three 23 July 2020. 2 flutes (both doubling on piccolos ), 2 oboes , 2 clarinets , 2 Bassoons , 4 French horns , 2 trumpets , 3 trombones , timpani and two percussionists playing: snare drum , bass drum , cymbals , triangle , gong , tubular bells , harp , celesta and strings . The opera
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#17327840183631672-486: The 1960s, the number of guest orchestras at the Proms also began to increase, with the first major international conductors ( Leopold Stokowski , Georg Solti , and Carlo Maria Giulini ) performing in 1963, and the first foreign orchestra, the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra , performing in 1966. Since that time, almost every major international orchestra, conductor and soloist has performed at
1748-545: The First Night of the 2023 Proms wasn't announced until April 2023. The following table lists by year the conductors of the Last Night of the Proms. In general, since the tenure of Sargent, the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra has led this concert, but guest conductors have directed the Last Night on several occasions. Additionally, the tradition was for a British conductor, and if not
1824-432: The Last Night is mostly sold out, although returns may be available. For standing places, a full season pass automatically includes admission to the Last Night; some day Prommers can get limited tickets available on various dates by presenting five ticket-stubs from previous concerts, either in the Arena or Gallery (prior to 2009, the requirement was for six other concerts) but most day Promming tickets are open to everyone on
1900-466: The Last Night) rather than separately. Slatkin, an American and the first non- Commonwealth citizen to lead the Last Night, conducted his first in 2001, just days after the 9/11 attacks . The atmosphere was more restrained and less festive than normal, with a heavily revised programme where the finale of Beethoven's 9th Symphony replaced the "Sea Songs", and Samuel Barber 's " Adagio for Strings "
1976-509: The New Queen's Hall Orchestra effectively continued until 1930 as "Sir Henry J. Wood and his Symphony Orchestra". When the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) was formed in 1930, it became the main orchestra for the concerts. At this time the season consisted of nights dedicated to particular composers; Mondays were Wagner , Fridays were Beethoven , with other major composers being featured on other days. There were no Sunday performances. With
2052-543: The New Queen's Hall Orchestra, which played for the last time at a Symphony concert on 19 March 1927. He found it more expedient to let the Queen's Hall to the broadcasting powers, rather than to continue the Promenade concerts and other big series independently in an unequal competition with what he saw as effectively the Government itself. So the Proms were saved, but under a different kind of authority. The personnel of
2128-613: The Park became a series of established events in their own right, with events in Hyde Park and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, managed by BBC Scotland, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Ireland respectively, in conjunction with the host local authority. Each event has a presenting team, a live orchestra, a video link to the Last Night of the Proms in London, and guest soloists and choirs. Events tend to move to different cities to cover
2204-490: The Park events across the UK on the Last Night of the Proms, and associated educational and children's events. Recently, concerts have been held in additional cities across different nations of the UK, as part of Proms Around the UK. The season is a significant event in British culture and in classical music. Czech conductor Jiří Bělohlávek described the Proms as "the world's largest and most democratic musical festival". Prom
2280-426: The Park grew, many communities across the UK decided to hold their own "Proms in the Park" events that were not affiliated with the BBC. The last official Proms in the Park took place in 2019, and no plans for its return have been announced. The first live relays outside of London were to Swansea and Birmingham in 1999. In 2001, there were also live link-ups to Cornwall and Liverpool. In 2011, Caerphilly's Proms in
2356-568: The Park started to have musicians of their own on stage, including the BBC Concert Orchestra . In the 2000s, Proms in the Park started to be held in other locations across the UK, usually with one of the BBC's orchestras playing. In 2005, Belfast , Glasgow, Swansea and Manchester hosted a Last Night Prom in the Park, broadcast live from each venue. In 2007 Manchester's prom was replaced by one in Middlesbrough . In 2008
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2432-607: The Promenade season presented by Keith Douglas in conjunction with the Royal Philharmonic Society (of which he was Secretary). The London Symphony Orchestra had sometimes assisted in the series since (after 1927) the New Queen's Hall Orchestra had ceased to function, and in 1942 Sir Henry Wood also invited the London Philharmonic Orchestra under its new leader Jean Pougnet to participate in this and subsequent seasons. In this he
2508-469: The Proms after Glock have been Robert Ponsonby (1973–1985), John Drummond (1986–1995), Nicholas Kenyon (1996–2007), and Roger Wright (2007–2014). Between 1986 and 2014, the post of Director, BBC Proms had mostly been combined with the role of Controller, BBC Radio 3. Edward Blakeman, editor of BBC Radio 3, became interim Proms Director upon Wright's departure in July 2014. In May 2015, the BBC announced
2584-795: The Proms for a number of years, as a freelance employee after his retirement from the BBC, with assistance from such staff as Edward Clark and Kenneth Wright. During the tenure of William Glock as Controller of the Proms, from 1960 to 1973, the Proms repertory expanded both forwards in time, to encompass then contemporary and avant-garde composers such as Boulez , Berio , Carter , Dallapiccola , Peter Maxwell Davies , Gerhard , Henze , Ligeti , Lutosławski , Lutyens , Maw , Messiaen , Nono , Stockhausen , and Tippett , as well as backwards to include music by past composers such as Purcell , Cavalli , Monteverdi , Byrd , Palestrina , Dufay , Dunstaple , and Machaut , as well as less-often performed works of Johann Sebastian Bach and Joseph Haydn . From
2660-568: The Proms have always started on a Friday night in July. The Proms continue today, and still present newly commissioned music alongside pieces more central to the repertoire and early music. Innovations continue, with pre-Prom talks, lunchtime chamber concerts, children's Proms, Proms in the Park either appearing, or being featured more heavily over the past few years. In the UK, all concerts are broadcast on BBC Radio 3 , an increasing number are televised on BBC Four with some also shown on BBC One and BBC Two . The theme tune that used to be played at
2736-572: The Proms since their inception. On 1 September 2011, a Prom given by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was severely affected by interruptions from pro-Palestinian protesters. While the Palestine Solidarity Campaign had urged a boycott, they denied being behind the disruption inside the Royal Albert Hall. For the first time ever, the BBC took a Prom concert off the air. Successive Controllers of
2812-431: The Proms. In 1970, Soft Machine 's appearance led to press attention and comment as the first "pop" band to perform there. The 1968 season began on a Friday night instead of the usual Saturday night. This concert marked a tribute to Sir Malcolm Sargent who had died shortly after delivering a brief speech from the rostrum at the Last Night in 1967. He had been too ill to actually conduct that concert. Every year since then,
2888-725: The United States, including two more at the Royal Opera House. The premiere performance was recorded, and has been issued on compact disc. Covent Garden revived the work in 1968, conducted by Colin Davis , with the Ritual Dances choreographed by Gillian Lynne and in 1970, when the production formed the basis of the first commercial recording. Tippett extracted the Four Ritual Dances from the opera as
2964-402: The acquisition of an entirely new set of wind instruments for the orchestra, and the re-tuning of the Queen's Hall organ. This coincided with the adoption of this lower pitch by other leading orchestras and concert series. Although the concerts gained a popular following and reputation, Newman went bankrupt in 1902, and the banker Edgar Speyer took over the expense of funding them. Wood received
3040-407: The appointment of David Pickard as Director of BBC Proms, in succession to Wright. In November 2023, the BBC announced that Pickard is to stand down as Proms Director after the 2024 season. In February 2024, Sam Jackson became Director of The Proms. Many people's perception of the Proms is based on the Last Night, although this is very different from the other concerts. It usually takes place on
3116-421: The beginning of each programme broadcast on television (until the 2011 season) was an extract from the end of the "Red" movement of Arthur Bliss 's A Colour Symphony , in 2017 Anna Clyne 's Masquerade (a Proms commission in 2013) and since 2019 an original theme by Ian Arber . It is also possible to hear the concerts live from the BBC Proms website. The Last Night is also broadcast in many countries around
The Midsummer Marriage - Misplaced Pages Continue
3192-418: The cavern. King Fisher thinks Jenifer is with Mark, and he summons Jack to break down the gates after the Ancients refuse to let him inside. During the argument, a radiant Jenifer reappears. Mark returns as well, glowing blood red. Representing "starry heaven" and "fruitful earth", the two confront each other. Jenifer says her soul is free of earthly suffering, while Mark claims to have gained new appreciation for
3268-485: The centenary of Tippett's birth. Barbara Hepworth effected the costumes and stage designs for the lavish original (1955) production. Choreography was by John Cranko . In 1976 Welsh National Opera staged a production designed by Annena Stubbs, which toured in cities including Leeds. The cast included Felicity Lott as Jenifer and Helen Watts , who had played the role in London in 1968, and recorded it in 1970, as Sosostris. David Cairns wrote that this production showed
3344-456: The composer's first inspiration for the work was visual: Tippett recalled imagining "a wooded hill-top with a temple, where a warm and soft young man was being rebuffed by a cold and hard young woman to such a degree that the collective, magical archetypes take charge – Jung 's anima and animus ." The character Sosostris is named after "Madame Sosostris, the famous clairvoyante," in T. S. Eliot 's poem " The Waste Land ", and King Fisher's name
3420-463: The current serving Chief Conductor, one who had an association with the BBC Symphony Orchestra or one of the other BBC orchestras. Charles Mackerras was the first non-British-born conductor to lead the Last Night, in 1980. Leonard Slatkin was the first American conductor of the Last Night in 2001. Jiří Bělohlávek was the first non-native English speaker to conduct the Last Night, in 2007. Marin Alsop
3496-484: The dancers and the Ancients out of the temple. Mark emerges and asks for a new dance in honor of his wedding day. The Ancients warn him of the dangers of thwarting tradition. To demonstrate the point, the He-Ancient trips Strephon as he dances. His bride Jenifer arrives, but she is distant, having run away from her father, King Fisher. She ascends the stone staircase and disappears. King Fisher arrives, and Mark enters
3572-408: The deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales , Mother Teresa , and Sir Georg Solti in 1997. Leonard Slatkin , chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2004, expressed a desire to tone down the nationalism of the Last Night, and during the seasons from 2002 until 2007 "Rule Britannia" was only heard as part of Henry Wood's '" Fantasia on British Sea Songs " (another piece traditional to
3648-543: The hill with the crowd as the sun rises. The dawn reveals that the buildings were never more than ruins. Michael Tippett Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.150 via cp1114 cp1114, Varnish XID 937725971 Upstream caches: cp1114 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:53:38 GMT BBC Proms The BBC Proms
3724-473: The inclusion of Scottish composer Anna Meredith to the programme for her Proms premiere, froms , which involved five different groups of musicians telecasting in from around Britain. 2009 saw the continued absence of Wood's Sea Songs , this time replaced by specially commissioned fanfares, and extracts from Handel 's " Music for the Royal Fireworks ". In 2009, for the first time, the Last Night
3800-520: The lowest priced in the season – saw this Prom split in 2004 into two Proms with identical content. In 2008, the Blue Peter Prom was replaced with a Doctor Who Prom which was revived in both the 2010 and 2013 seasons. The 2004 season also featured the Hall's newly rebuilt pipe organ . It took two years to complete the task (2002–2004) and was the work of Noel Mander, Ltd., of London. It
3876-548: The main season ends. CLIC Sargent, the Musicians' Benevolent Fund and further musical charities (chosen each year) also benefit from thousands of pounds in donations from Prommers after most concerts. When asking for donations, Prommers from the Arena regularly announce to the audience the running donations total at concert intervals through the season, or before the concert when there is no interval. After Wood's death, Julian Herbage acted as de facto principal administrator of
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#17327840183633952-604: The mid-18th century, and indoor proms became a feature of 19th century musical life in London from 1838, notably under the direction of Louis Antoine Jullien and Sir Arthur Sullivan . The annual series of Proms continuing today had their roots in that movement. They were inaugurated on 10 August 1895 in the Queen's Hall in Langham Place by the impresario Robert Newman , who was fully experienced in running similar concerts at Her Majesty's Theatre . Newman wished to generate
4028-404: The miracle of mortality. Jenifer tries to show Mark his error in a mirror, but Mark causes the mirror to fall and shatter. The couple reverse their paths, and Jenifer descends into the hillside while Mark ascends the stairs and disappears. In the clearing, Jack and Bella meet and decide to marry. They walk into the woods, and Strephon emerges with his dancers to perform three rituals. In the first,
4104-413: The morning of the concert, whether they have booked before or not. In the post-war period, with the growing popularity of the Last Night, the only way to obtain tickets was through a postal ballot held well-in-advance. Prommers with tickets are likely to queue up much earlier than usual (many overnight, and in past years, some slept outside the hall for up to three weeks to guard their place – although this
4180-588: The new Cadogan Hall, just off London's Sloane Square . These allow the Proms to include music which is not suitable for the vast spaces of the Albert Hall. From 1998 to 2007, the Blue Peter Prom, in partnership with long-running BBC television programme Blue Peter , was an annual fixture. Aimed at children and families, the Prom is informal, including audience participation, jokes, and popular classics. High demand for tickets – which are among
4256-407: The number reduced from five to four, in Hyde Park, Belfast, Glasgow and Swansea. 2009 returned to a total of five, in Hyde Park, Glasgow, Swansea, County Down and Salford . Each location has its own live concert, typically playing the national anthem of the host country, before joining in a live big screen video link up with the Royal Albert Hall for the traditional finale. In later years Proms in
4332-422: The opera "responds very readily to simple, imaginative staging, and that there were never any serious problems [with it] except in our attitude". Other British productions have been staged by English National Opera and Opera North , both in 1985, and Scottish Opera in 1988. A production was filmed for television in 1984, directed by Elijah Moshinsky , later released on VHS , with David Atherton conducting
4408-527: The outbreak of World War II in 1939, the BBC withdrew its support. However private sponsors stepped in to maintain the Proms, always under Sir Henry Wood's direction, until the Queen's Hall was devastated beyond repair during an air raid in May 1941. (The site is now occupied by the St George's Hotel and BBC Henry Wood House). The concerts then moved (until 1944) to their current home, the Royal Albert Hall, during
4484-590: The repertoire heard as the series continued from year to year. While including many popular and less demanding works, in the first season there were substantial nights devoted to Beethoven or Schubert, and a programme of new works was given in the final week. Distinguished singers including Sims Reeves and Signor Foli appeared. In the first two decades Wood firmly established the policy of introducing works by contemporary composers (both British and international) and of bringing fresh life to unperformed or under-performed works. A bronze bust of Sir Henry Wood recovered from
4560-553: The ruins of the bombed-out Queen's Hall in 1941, and now belonging to the Royal Academy of Music , is still placed in front of the organ for the whole Promenade season. Though the concerts are now called the BBC Proms, and are headlined with the BBC logo, the tickets are subtitled "BBC Music presents the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts". In 1927, following Newman's sudden death in the previous year,
4636-425: The same as for that season's concerts, but seated tickets are more expensive. To pre-book a seat, an initial selection is released to winners of a ballot open to those who have booked five or more Prom concerts, and in 2023 there was also an advance sale to those who had seats booked for the cancelled 2022 event. After the advance-booking period, there is no requirement to have booked for additional concerts, but by then
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#17327840183634712-488: The second Saturday in September, and is broadcast in the UK on BBC Radio 3 , and on television on BBC Two (first half) and BBC One (second half). The concert is traditionally in a lighter, 'winding-down' vein, with popular classics followed by a second half of British patriotic pieces. This sequence traditionally includes Edward Elgar 's " Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1" (to part of which " Land of Hope and Glory "
4788-460: The second half became fully established in 1954 during Sargent's tenure as chief conductor. The Prommers have made a tradition of singing " Auld Lang Syne " after the end of the concert, but this was not included in the programme until 2015. However, when James Loughran , a Scot, conducted the Last Night concert in the late 1970s and early 1980s he did include the piece within the programme. Tickets are highly sought-after. Promming tickets are priced
4864-406: The series (called "Mr Robert Newman's Promenade Concerts") on condition that Henry Wood be employed as the sole conductor. Wood, aged 26, seized this opportunity and built the "Queen's Hall Orchestra" as the ensemble specially devoted to performing the promenade concerts. Cathcart also stipulated (contrary to Newman's preference) the adoption of French or Open Diapason concert pitch , necessitating
4940-414: The temple with his dancers to perform a fourth ritual, which celebrates carnal love by transforming it into the fire of divine love. The ritual concludes as the bud closes around Mark and Jenifer and bursts into flames. When the fire subsides, Mark, Jenifer and the Ancients are gone. As the moonlight fades, Mark and Jenifer enter the clearing from opposite sides, dressed for their wedding. They head off down
5016-765: The world. In 1996, a related series of eight lunchtime chamber concerts was started, taking place on Mondays during the Proms season. In their first year these were held in the Britten Hall of the Royal College of Music (just across Prince Consort Road from the Albert Hall). The following year they moved slightly further afield, to the Henry Cole Lecture Theatre at the Victoria and Albert Museum . In 2005, they moved further again, to
5092-409: Was John Hollingsworth . Sargent was noted for his immaculate appearance ( evening dress , carnation ) and his witty addresses where he good-naturedly chided the noisy Prommers. Sir Malcolm championed choral music and classical and British composers, especially Samuel Coleridge-Taylor . The charity founded in his name, CLIC Sargent , continues to hold a special Promenade Concert each year shortly after
5168-514: Was attempting to maintain vigour in the programme, under the renewal of its relationship with the BBC as promoters. Sir Henry Wood continued his work with the Proms through vicissitudes with the BBC until his death in 1944, the year of his Jubilee Season. During that period Sir Adrian Boult , chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Basil Cameron also took on conducting duties for the series, continuing them in 1944 when, under increased danger from bombing, they were moved again, this time to
5244-463: Was performed in tribute to 9/11 victims. On the day of the 2005 Last Night, the hall management received word of a bomb threat, which led to a thorough search of the Albert Hall for 5 hours, but the concert took place after a short delay. This has led to increased security concerns, given the stature of the Last Night in British culture, which Jacqui Kelly of the Royal Albert Hall staff noted: That
5320-425: Was quite a nerve-wracker – our biggest event, the one everybody knows the Albert Hall for, and we were in real danger of losing it. We're an iconic thing, up there in the public eye, so we have to expect that. 2008 also contained some departures from the traditional programme. "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1" was moved to after the conductor's speech. In addition, most of Wood's "Fantasia on British Sea Songs"
5396-426: Was replaced by Vaughan Williams's Sea Songs as a final tribute in his anniversary year. However, Wood's arrangements of naval bugle calls from the start of the "Fantasia" were retained, and Sargent's arrangement of "Rule Britannia" returned with Bryn Terfel as soloist. As on his 1994 Last Night appearance, he sang one verse in a Welsh translation, with the chorus also translated into Welsh. Additionally, 2008 saw
5472-406: Was scheduled to happen, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II , the first Last Night cancellation since 1944. Dalia Stasevska had been selected to conduct. Stasevska returned to conduct the First Night in 2023, while Marin Alsop conducted the Last Night. This marked the first time that the BBC Proms had female conductors open and close the season. As a result of the cancellation, the date for
5548-514: Was shown live in several cinemas across Asia and in Canada and Australia. In 2016, anti- Brexit protestors waved EU flags in addition to the usual Union Jack flags. The protests have continued in subsequent years. In 2020, the concert was performed to an empty hall, due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place in the UK . Two years later, in 2022, the concert was cancelled 48 hours before it
5624-491: Was the Last Night's first female conductor in 2013. The Royal Albert Hall could be filled many times over with people who would wish to attend. To involve extra people, and to cater for those who are not near London, the Proms in the Park concerts were started in 1996. Initially there was one, in Hyde Park adjacent to the Hall, which was a simple video relay of the concert at the Royal Albert Hall. As audiences grew, Proms in
5700-438: Was the first at the Royal Albert Hall, when he thanked colleagues and sponsors. Wood gave a similar speech at the 1942 Last Night, and a pre-recorded version was played at the 1943 Last Night. During his tenure as conductor, Sir Malcolm Sargent established the tone of making the Last Night speech more humorous. Subsequent conductors have generally continued this, although one exception was in 1997 when Sir Andrew Davis addressed
5776-441: Was the first complete restoration of the instrument since Harrison and Harrison's work in 1936. The tradition of Promming remains an important aspect of the festival, with over 1000 standing places available for each concert, either in the central arena (rather like the groundlings in the pit at Shakespeare's Globe ) or high in the hall's gallery. Promming tickets cost the same for all concerts (currently £8 as of 2023 ), providing
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