Proms 2008

[Lilymaid]

Well it has started! I'm going on Monday - but mainly because it is the only evening that DH and I can get there together.
Not entirely convinced by Christine Brewer's interpretation of the Four Last Songs - I remember a ravishing performance by Felicity Lott at the Proms years ago.

[RTKangaMummy]

Yes he is 13 {he is 13 years and 2 months} but almost as tall as me



He was sooooooooo pleased to have had the oppprtunity to go

He loved it all

He has told all his FACEBOOK friends about it

The programme is really deffo brill too



Thank you so much

He tried to go to the Proms Orchestra session in Royal College of Music afterwards but appartently you needed to prebook that. So they weren't allowed in.

Never mind they had a really deffo brill day

Thanks

[Katisha]

I think I was more histrionic than either of my DSs, pointing like a loon whenever a creature appeared.

We were going to do the science museum afterwards but were wilting in the heat so went home and started on the old Dr Who box sets.

When Catherine Tate turned up I began to wonder if there was, hope against hope, a chance of David Tennant...Ah well!

I also rather enjoyed the beefed up amplified sound in the hall for a change.

[RTKangaMummy]

I really enjoyed listening to it via the TV Freeview as it was powerful to listen to

[tangarine]

[tangarine]

[Bink]

How funny I had a pink-eyed weepy little girl (oh all right, me too) at one moment - while the emotional bits went shooting over the boys' heads. Ds's express favourite was the Naughty Alien (in the extra scene) whose escape meant risks of Bad Smells. Not very subtle.

Did anyone else notice how the clips were loaded towards huggy moments? lingering shots of arms being thrown round other people's (but mostly DT's) backs. Do we make anything of this?

[Marina]

Ds thought it was a bit gloopy, yes. He also said he'd have preferred Mars with Daleks to Jupiter and soppy Oods
I went a bit snuffly myself as they stood arms aloft as the strains of I Vow to Thee My Country swelled.
Dd also like the Rhinemaidens in the Horn section - did you see them whip out their helmets and plaits for the Ride of the Valkyrie
There's a lot that's imperfect about Britain but I did come away feeling we still do this sort of event for families better than almost anywhere else in the world. The technical accomplishment of the staging, the clever little extra scene, the ranked musical talent - from a first rate orchestra to Melanie Pappenheim (I love this woman), Mark Anthony Turnage and Murray Gold - it was seamless, moving, thought provoking and fun.

[Katisha]

Caitlin Moran's review.

[LIZS]

lol love the thought of CM sobbing into her ice cream ! Great description of the hush of anticipation , barely a sound or squeal broke the spell even when the monsters appeared. To create an event when so many kids were struck dumb with awe and reverance, so could learn to appreciate the music was really something.

Had anyone been to previous Children's proms , how did it compare ? Can't imagine they could repeat this format.

[Bink]

Previous children's Proms - we've been to two Blue Peter proms (I think last year & the year before? but it may be two-out-of-the-last-three years, can't quite remember).

The first one had a theme of Music and Magic and (with a kind of luck you just don't appreciate till later) I happened to phone for tickets immediately after someone had cancelled their box booking. So we had marvellous seats. The Music was fairly what you'd expect - Magician's Nephew & that - but again very well played; and, while it played, some breathtaking magic - completely convincing levitation, etc. - was performed on that stage in the middle of the arena. It was all wonderful. And there was a Dalek too, and the Dr Who theme tune was played.

The next time the theme was the Sea, I think, and we had sweltering up in the ceiling tickets, and not nearly the same effort had been put into the visual excitement element. So we enjoyed it but it wasn't a "we must go to this every year forever" experience (as the first one had been).

This one fell a bit between the two: the monsters were not quite as spell-binding as the magic, but we still loved it.

PS What was it that someone shouted at Catherine Tate? It was a shout of desperate appreciation - something like COME BACK DONNA - but I couldn't make it out. The people behind us laughed a lot so they must have understood.

[boobum]

I was there!! It was 'you rock Donna'!

[QueenMeabhOfConnaught]

I was at the Blue Peter prom last year - can't even remember if it had a theme! I know that two pieces (Fanfare for the Common Man and Montagues & Capulets) were also played last year.

I was very close to Mark-Anthony Turnage who leapt to his feet and gave the orchestra a little mini-ovation after his piece.

We also had Freema Agyeman stand next to us twice - luckily ds2 (aged 9 and a huge devotee) didn't faint!!

[tangarine]

I unexpectedly have a spare ticket for Verdi on 31st August - please let me know if anyone would like it. It's in the stalls.

[LIZS]

can you download the Dr Who prom ? Thought it might be fun to have on ipod/mp3

[Katisha]

No you can't. It's on Listen Again for a week after transmission and then that's your lot. The BBC would have to pay a lot of royalties to make it a download.

[Valhalla]

Just noticed that the Dr Who prom from the summer is being shown on bbc1 today (new years day) at 1.30pm. It was fab!

[LIZS]

Showed the atmosphere pretty well but was a highly editted version of the music. No Mickey or Jackie shown either. We didn't spot ourselves. If you go interactive on red button you can have a look behind the scenes of the Dr Who prom ! Is it downloadable from the iplayer now ?

[Metella]

The dcs watched it today and commented on how much was missed out. They still enjoyed it though.

[LIZS]

Full version of the Dr Who prom is on the red button on digitaltv