I well remember the good old days when the Last Night of The Proms was a real chance for a bit of good-natured enthusiasm for our national identity. A chance to enjoy some British classical music after 9 weeks of listening to foreign imports. Oh, and there was some "bobbing" to be done, too.
Well, according to the Beeb, that same ethos still applies: "While it lives up to its reputation of a fun Last Night party celebrating British tradition..." - sounds promising, eh?
It didn't deliver on that promise. We got the following:
- Jonathan Dove A Song of Joys
- Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien
- Tchaikovsky arr. Rysanov Rococo Variations
- Parry Blest Pair of Sirens
- R. Strauss Verführung, Op. 33 No. 1, Freundliche Vision, Op. 48 No. 1, Ständchen, Op. 17 No. 2, Winterweihe, Op. 48 No. 4, Zueignung, Op. 10 No. 1
- Chabrier Joyeuse marche
- Smetana Dalibor – 'Dobrá! Já mu je dám! … Jak je mi?'
- Dvorák Rusalka – Song to the Moon
- Vaughan Williams Suite for viola and small orchestra – Prelude; Galop
- Wagner Lohengrin – Bridal Chorus
- Rodgers and Hammerstein Carousel – 'You'll never walk alone'
- Trad, arr. Nic Raine Fisher's Hornpipe
- Arne Rule, Britannia!
- Parry, orch. Elgar Jerusalem
- Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D major ('Land of Hope and Glory')
- The National Anthem
Sift the Brit-Grit out of that. Be careful, there ain't much there, and there were hardly any "bobbing" opportunities. How on Earth can anybody justify omitting works by Henry Wood, such as his Fantasia on British Sea Songs? FFS, Wood started the whole shebang, he conducted the Proms for almost half a century, his bust looks down over the whole show, and now he's snubbed.
Just in case you don't remember those good old days, here's what we used to get. British stuff. Red meat on the bone...
- Elgar Pomp and Circumstance: Military March No. 4
- Walton Crown Imperial
- Elgar Enigma Variations: No. 9 Nimrod
- Holst I vow to Thee, my Country
- Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves
- Elgar Chanson de matin
- Coates London: No. 3 Knightsbridge
- Handel Zadok the Priest (Coronation Anthem)
- Clarke Trumpet Voluntary
- Wood Fantasia on British Sea Songs
- Arne Rule, Britannia!
- Elgar Pomp and Circumstance: Military March No. 1
- Parry Jerusalem
- The National Anthem
There you go. Proper stuff.
We used to get British conductors too, but that's gone all "PC" as well.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not a Nationalist by any stretch of the imagination. It's just that I get narked by this constant erosion of our national identity.
