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Enjoying last night of the proms?

53 replies

ThatAmpleMentor · 13/09/2025 22:20

Is it acceptable, or is it jingoistic?
Not sure

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enjoyinglifenowretired · 14/09/2025 21:56

The best last night ever. Just rewatched it again with my toddler DGD who loved Alison Balsom on the trumpet.. It was fun, modern but traditional. I’m not sure how your voting works but my family thoroughly enjoyed it.

pestowithwalnuts · 14/09/2025 21:32

I loved the singing of The Gathering Tree.
Iv tried to find it on YouTube etc but no luck yet
Xx@😅

CrystalSingerFan · 14/09/2025 21:26

Wintersonata · 14/09/2025 21:16

@CrystalSingerFan

Could have done without God Save the King, mind you. (I'm a Republican.)

Re God Save the King maybe suggest to the Albert Hall administration they provide a trigger warning and the time when it will be sung so you can escape.

Aaah, that reminds me of the olden days of Saturday Morning Cinema when the final item was the cinema playing a recording of God Save the Queen. You have NEVER seen such a large group of kids leave a building so fast. 😀

weareallqueens · 14/09/2025 21:17

I used to always go to the Glasgow show, pre children and hoped to take them when they were older so I’m disappointed that it seems it’s not on any more.

Wintersonata · 14/09/2025 21:16

@CrystalSingerFan

Could have done without God Save the King, mind you. (I'm a Republican.)

Re God Save the King maybe suggest to the Albert Hall administration they provide a trigger warning and the time when it will be sung so you can escape.

ILoveLukeAlderton · 14/09/2025 21:01

I thoroughly enjoyed it but wondered the same, it’s sad how we feel the need to question so many things now.

LIZS · 14/09/2025 20:48

suburburban · 14/09/2025 20:38

Did it disappear in Lockdown

They had some provincial proms over the summer

softlyfallsthesnow · 14/09/2025 20:46

GoldMerchant · 13/09/2025 23:32

The William Blake lyrics actually much more critical of England than celebratory! They're a call for England to reshape itself and move away from "the dark Satanic mills" and become a New Jerusalem. I've always found it a bit weird that it's a patriotic song but it is a banger.

LNotP is fine. Some of the songs are a bit jingoistic but no worse than any other country. It's great to see the international talent that comes to Britain and it's a great celebration of our long tradition of valuing the arts.

It's a banger simply because Parry's tune is a definite banger.Without that, the poem would probably be more of academic interest.
Blake was a radical and had no time for organised religion or the establishment, which is probably what the dark satanic mills were a reference to.

I wonder what he'd think of its use now as a patriotic hymn.

suburburban · 14/09/2025 20:38

sittingonabeach · 14/09/2025 20:36

Do they not do the outside concerts anymore, I commented to DH last night that they don't link up to them

Did it disappear in Lockdown

sittingonabeach · 14/09/2025 20:36

Do they not do the outside concerts anymore, I commented to DH last night that they don't link up to them

suburburban · 14/09/2025 20:13

I miss the bit where they went round the country and showed people in Ireland singing Danny Boy

and what happened to Men of Harlech, now a dull song instead

Netcurtainnelly · 14/09/2025 20:13

It lifts your spirits. It's good.

InsolentAnnie · 14/09/2025 20:11

@DancingwiththeEuropeansIf you mean the bit in the Tom Bowling section of the sea shanties, everyone traditionally fake cries at that point - I was gutted they didn’t show the audience 🤣 One arrangement has a long clarinet solo too where everyone tries to put them off!

BMW6 · 14/09/2025 20:06

I thought the bloke who sang Bo Rap was exceptional and very nearly as good as Freddie!
Didn't catch his name.

CrystalSingerFan · 14/09/2025 20:04

QueenOfTheHighCs · 14/09/2025 19:59

Not a French soprano! Very much English - Louise Alder is the first English singer in over 10 years to perform at the last night. Her French was fabulous in the Fauat though!

Noooo! How did I get the impression she was French? Apologies to everyone and thanks for the correction.

QueenOfTheHighCs · 14/09/2025 19:59

CrystalSingerFan · 13/09/2025 23:20

I watched it all and loved it. I used to go to the Proms (never the last night) and it was brilliantly nostalgic. Elim Chan (Hong Kong Chinese) was the conduct(ress) and a star. French soprano was fantastic ('proper' classical songs AND My Fair Lady stuff (pre-and-post elocution lessons)). Brian May and his guitar in Bohemian Rhapsody! Loads of EU (and French) flags.

Could have done without God Save the King, mind you. (I'm a Republican.)

Not a French soprano! Very much English - Louise Alder is the first English singer in over 10 years to perform at the last night. Her French was fabulous in the Fauat though!

LIZS · 14/09/2025 11:33

Crispynoodle · 14/09/2025 11:30

So good I’m thinking of getting tickets for next year

You need to go to at least five other concerts to qualify to buy Last Night tickets.

Crispynoodle · 14/09/2025 11:30

So good I’m thinking of getting tickets for next year

Marshman · 14/09/2025 11:10

God Save the King only lasted as long as it took me to leave the room and brush my teeth. Loved the EU flags.

OhNoNotSusan · 14/09/2025 06:26

anyway the proms has been running for 130 years
do you want to cancel it?

OhNoNotSusan · 14/09/2025 06:08

Bohemian Rhapsody, was just amazing. emotional - Roger Taylor at the end the icing on the cake.

TheFifthTellytubby · 14/09/2025 01:26

BMW6 · 14/09/2025 00:23

I suppose, thinking about it, it's not impossible that Jesus travelled to England.
Unlikely as he wasn't a merchant but certainly not impossible. Romans walked or rode to Judea and to Britain so no reason why a Judean couldn't walk or ride (or sail) to Britain.

Glastonbury, according to legend. And as with all legends, there could be some elements of truth in the suggestion that Joseph of Arimathea travelled for trading purposes. It's not an entirely outrageous idea. Whether he brought the child Jesus with him may well have been an embellishment, but it's a nice story nevertheless.

BMW6 · 14/09/2025 00:23

I suppose, thinking about it, it's not impossible that Jesus travelled to England.
Unlikely as he wasn't a merchant but certainly not impossible. Romans walked or rode to Judea and to Britain so no reason why a Judean couldn't walk or ride (or sail) to Britain.

GoldMerchant · 13/09/2025 23:32

solacola · 13/09/2025 22:53

I'll admit to not knowing much about classical music but I was curious as to what Jerusalem is actually about. I just Googled it but still non the wiser!

The William Blake lyrics actually much more critical of England than celebratory! They're a call for England to reshape itself and move away from "the dark Satanic mills" and become a New Jerusalem. I've always found it a bit weird that it's a patriotic song but it is a banger.

LNotP is fine. Some of the songs are a bit jingoistic but no worse than any other country. It's great to see the international talent that comes to Britain and it's a great celebration of our long tradition of valuing the arts.

Chickoletta · 13/09/2025 23:31

solacola · 13/09/2025 22:53

I'll admit to not knowing much about classical music but I was curious as to what Jerusalem is actually about. I just Googled it but still non the wiser!

William Blake’s poem is about the apocryphal story that the young Jesus travelled to Britain with his uncle, Joseph of Arimithea who was a tin trader. It is also an anti-industrial statement, comparing the green and pleasant land to the dark, satanic mills. There’s a lot more to it, as there always is with Blake, but that’s it in a nutshell.