# Proms



## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

Can someone in Merry Olde England (or New England) please expalin what the Proms are? Why that name? It's something special, I know but what brought it together in the first place.

Thank you.


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## Mephistopheles (Sep 3, 2012)

You can get a much better overview of what the Proms are by reading about them on Wikipedia, but, in brief, the Proms (or BBC Proms) concerts are a summer festival of classical music held in London, mostly in the Royal Albert Hall, and the word "Prom" comes from "promenade" because people were free to stroll around during outdoor concerts. Nowadays, "promming" refers to the standing tickets you can get for the Royal Albert Hall - as well as there being many seats, there is also the "arena" on the floor, and the gallery up above, where you can stand for only £5. Best concerts in the world for the lowest price around.


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

Mephistopheles said:


> You can get a much better overview of what the Proms are by reading about them on Wikipedia, but, in brief, the Proms (or BBC Proms) concerts are a summer festival of classical music held in London, mostly in the Royal Albert Hall, and the word "Prom" comes from "promenade" because people were free to stroll around during outdoor concerts. Nowadays, "promming" refers to the standing tickets you can get for the Royal Albert Hall - as well as there being many seats, there is also the "arena" on the floor, and the gallery up above, where you can stand for only £5. Best concerts in the world for the lowest price around.


Thank you. It's because that word "promenade" suddenly came to me this morning that I asked. I had tried Googling and kept getting links to our Proms which are, of course, something entirely different - high school Seniors' formal dances. Much is made of this passage into adulthood. But, of course, totally different from your Proms. I appreciate your summary.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Passage into adulthood... looool


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

Mephistopheles said:


> You can get a much better overview of what the Proms are by reading about them on Wikipedia, but, in brief, the Proms (or BBC Proms) concerts are a summer festival of classical music held in London, mostly in the Royal Albert Hall, and the word "Prom" comes from "promenade" because people were free to stroll around during outdoor concerts. Nowadays, "promming" refers to the standing tickets you can get for the Royal Albert Hall - as well as there being many seats, there is also the "arena" on the floor, and the gallery up above, where you can stand for only £5. Best concerts in the world for the lowest price around.


P. S. I was reading that Wiki article and saw mention of the Pleasure Gardens. Somewhere (I do not recall where right now), I read a story of the original building of the Pleasure Gardens which didn't turn out exactly as originally planned but still did well. That was so long ago. Are these the same Pleasure Gardens? Or, are there perhaps more than one such?

The article also said the last night of the Proms is usually the second Saturday in September. That was written a year ago, I think. Is today the last this year, then. Part of it is broadcast worldwide. I might try to listen although the live broadcast of our orchestra the other day didn't come through too well. Or not on my computer anyway.

All very beautiful anyway. You all are so lucky to have it. Hazel


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

Cnote11 said:


> Passage into adulthood... looool


I know. I had the same thought as I typed that but what could I say?


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

The last night of the Proms is tonight:
www.bbc.co.uk/proms/whats-on/2012/september-08/14484


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

Jeremy Marchant said:


> The last night of the Proms is tonight:
> www.bbc.co.uk/proms/whats-on/2012/september-08/14484


Thank you. I found that . It's just over an hour away here, seeing as how we sleepyheads lie abed long after you all have greeted the sun. You should see me trying to watch the Eisteddfod which cuts us off at noon (our time) :-( But we get the three most important parts (to me anyway) - the crowning, the chairing and the medal presentation. I do enjoy those so much.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Hazel said:


> Thank you. I found that . It's just over an hour away here, seeing as how we sleepyheads lie abed long after you all have greeted the sun. You should see me trying to watch the Eisteddfod which cuts us off at noon (our time) :-( But we get the three most important parts (to me anyway) - the crowning, the chairing and the medal presentation. I do enjoy those so much.


Well,did you see it? I thought it was as good as ever and what about the olympic medalists suddenly appearing?


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

moody said:


> Well,did you see it? I thought it was as good as ever and what about the olympic medalists suddenly appearing?


No, didn't see it - heard it. I must listen via Radio 3. Not quite as good as  seeing, I know, but I did enjoy it - especially the second half where I was more familiar with the tunes. That was good about the medalists and when the audience got involved. Wasn't that the retiring conductor?

I was wishing I could hear the one in Scotland but couldn't find if or where it was broadcast. Later I realized I could have tried Radio Scotland. A bit late with that idea.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

You mean the Edinburgh Festival,there is so much going on. That includes music,theatre, fringe theatre and comedy.
Yes,the conductor is moving on but you can see who is coming on the BBC S.O. website.


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

moody said:


> You mean the Edinburgh Festival,there is so much going on. That includes music,theatre, fringe theatre and comedy.
> Yes,the conductor is moving on but you can see who is coming on the BBC S.O. website.


Yes, the Edinburgh Festival. I'd so like to have heard it. I don't suppose there's a chance in a million that they recorded it. Of course, I could be wrong, but my inner voice tells me they got some good Scots music in there.

Take care. Hazel


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Hazel said:


> Yes, the Edinburgh Festival. I'd so like to have heard it. I don't suppose there's a chance in a million that they recorded it. Of course, I could be wrong, but my inner voice tells me they got some good Scots music in there.
> 
> Take care. Hazel


It's probaly still on--I'm not sure,


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

I wish we had something comparable to the Proms in New York, which is at least as important a center for classical music as London . Pretty much all we have during the Summer is Mostly Mozart, which is nice enough ,
but it's prety much samll beer compared to the Proms. 
The Lincoln Center festival in Summer has had some cool things, such as the Royal Opera of London visiting to do Pfitzner's Palestrina at the Met with Thielemann conducting and the Bochum opera of Germany doing "Die Soldaten" by Bernd Alois Zimmermann, but it's not primarily devoted to classicla music and has dance and drama etc.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

The Proms is a great idea but has ultimately lost its way under the BBC; the original concept was to bring classical music to people who would not normally be interested, something which they are failing at miserably by broadcasting only a small selection of concerts on TV despite having something like four suitable channels and an on demand service available on digital cable/satellite TV and the internet.

I watched one of the few TV broadcasts this year, or as much of it as I could - I switched it off when, in the middle of Varèse's _Tuning Up_ (something of a rare piece in concert, it would seem), one member of the youth orchestra got out his iPhone and said "mum, now is not a good time." I mean really, you get a chance to present that in concert and you do *that*? Why?


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

Crudblud said:


> I switched it off when, in the middle of Varèse's _Tuning Up_ (something of a rare piece in concert, it would seem), one member of the youth orchestra got out his iPhone and said "mum, now is not a good time."


Wow, that's pretty awful. When telling people to turn their phones off, they obviously forgot to get that message to the orchestra members :lol:

Still, I enjoyed the last night of the proms. With it's out-dated nationalistic diet of Elgar and Parry etc. it cannot fail but to please! I also thought the Olympians was a good move theatrically speaking. It provided a non-musical event for good-contrast. I even thought the conductor's 'one more time' policy worked.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Crudblud said:


> The Proms is a great idea but has ultimately lost its way under the BBC; the original concept was to bring classical music to people who would not normally be interested, something which they are failing at miserably by broadcasting only a small selection of concerts on TV despite having something like four suitable channels and an on demand service available on digital cable/satellite TV and the internet.
> 
> I watched one of the few TV broadcasts this year, or as much of it as I could - I switched it off when, in the middle of Varèse's _Tuning Up_ (something of a rare piece in concert, it would seem), one member of the youth orchestra got out his iPhone and said "mum, now is not a good time." I mean really, you get a chance to present that in concert and you do *that*? Why?


The BBC took the Proms over in 1927 and have done a good job. But I would think there was a problem this year because of the Olympics and Paralympics. But surely there was plenty on steam radio, there usually is.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Ramako said:


> Wow, that's pretty awful. When telling people to turn their phones off, they obviously forgot to get that message to the orchestra members :lol:


No, the worst thing about it was that it was a scripted event. The conductor had either approved or had the idea himself.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

moody said:


> The BBC took the Proms over in 1927 and have done a good job. But I would think there was a problem this year because of the Olympics and Paralympics. But surely there was plenty on steam radio, there usually is.


There's always full coverage on radio, but if we're talking about which service ultimately reaches more people; it's TV. There has never been good TV Proms coverage to my knowledge, but there have been an increasing number of concerts on TV the past few years, what I don't understand is why we are expected to praise an increase in coverage when there should be full coverage in the first place. They have at least four wholly suitable channels and a on demand service, yet they seem to take a laissez faire approach to *their own music festival* as if it will somehow broadcast itself.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Crudblud said:


> I watched one of the few TV broadcasts this year, or as much of it as I could - I switched it off when, in the middle of Varèse's _Tuning Up_ (something of a rare piece in concert, it would seem), one member of the youth orchestra got out his iPhone and said "mum, now is not a good time." I mean really, you get a chance to present that in concert and you do *that*? Why?


I think they assumed that people wouldn't enjoy the piece or something, so they decided to make fun of it, turn it into a big joke. There are parts of it that are funny, I dunno if Varese meant for the piece to be funny or not, but I doubt he really wanted such corny, lame jokes inserted into his work. I could be wrong though. Other than those bits of stupidity, I thought the piece sounded alright in performance. It sounded like musicianship wasn't suffering, even if the interpretation was crap.


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

Crudblud said:


> No, the worst thing about it was that it was a scripted event. The conductor had either approved or had the idea himself.


Ok, yes, that is even worse.


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