Proms?

[CurlewKate]

Anyone watching? Lots of fun...

I liked Angel Blue's rendition of Rule Britannia. I wished they'd included snooker in the sporting themes.

I've never watched it all the way through before though obvs familiar with it all. Loving it, it's batshit and looks like a right laugh. All the EU flags making me a bit emosh 😳.

@Sethera "I liked Angel Blue's rendition of Rule Britannia. I wished they'd included snooker in the sporting themes."

And the darts!

God save the king a bit subdued....

I said this to my DH… made me quite sad actually! Like a reminder of better times!

Penelope was wondering what on earth was happening! She was fascinated

They sang that arrangement last year and I thought it was because it was the first Last Night since the death of Elizabeth II (2022's was cancelled because she died just before it was scheduled) but obviously not.

Did she and Pads bob up and down to the hornpipe?

Yes, but wasn’t keen on Angel - the songs sounded all wrong! Find the end very rousing & was singing along. Dh not bothered 😆

Loved those

No men of Harlech - sure they used to sing that

Angel's voice is lovely, but I think the tempo was wrong for the spirituals, if that's the right way to put it (I'm not musical) - they didn't seem to flow well sung in an operatic way. Rule Britannia was much better suited to her style of singing.

It's the Britten arrangement, I don't like it much.

It's meant to be moving (so likeSethera said I can understand why they used it last year), but I think I prefer my national anthems to be more rousing.

Although I've just looked back at programmes and they say it's been a Britten arrangement since 2015, but I'm sure it hasn't always sounded quite so miserable!

I only remember it being that version the last two times, but quite possibly that's some kind of confirmation bias thing. I'm still not quite used to it being 'King' not 'Queen' and it's rather disconcerting to think that I won't hear 'Queen' again in my lifetime (unless William and George abdicate!).

I love it and watch it every year. I prefer it without the regional ones as it disrupts the flow of the programme cutting in and out to them. I love those two spirituals but agree they didn't work in opera style, when they announced them I hoped they'd be sung like a gospel choir. Loved Angel's personality and style though. It just seemed to flow really nicely this year.

My kids..... 'it's all white posh people & what's it about ' 🤣

The choir loved it when the organ came in, on whichever song they did twice. I can't remember what it was.

enjoyed this
always enjoy last night,
be great to go!

Ah, now I do politically turn off GSTK because I'm of Welsh republican bent... 😁 Or I sing the Cational Anthem, which I didn't make up - not sure where I heard it:

God save our gracious cat,
feed him on bread and fat,
God save the cat.
Send him all kinds of mice,
fat, juicy, extra nice,
and keep him free from lice,
God save the cat!

😺🐭

I too don’t like the Britten arrangement of GSTK. It’s a bit of a dirgy anthem anyway so giving it a bit of pace brightens it up hugely but I guess doesn’t showcase the singers abilities the same way.

loved the light shows from the wristbands - whoever invented those deserves a prize!🤣🤣

@Compash Penelope was singing that in her head.

'Let me sing you the song of my people'... 😍😻

I quite liked the Britton arrangement!

I dislike the way the presenters got all gushing and full of hyperbole - Katie Derham was overexcited.

The Spirituals didn't sound good. I've thought before though that classically trained singers sound "wrong" when they're singing Spirituals, Folk Songs or Pop. Their voices, though amazing, are too perfect and they don't have the "edge" needed to bring the right atmosphere to the songs.

The sports stuff was cringy.

The Britten arrangement of the National Anthem is beautiful.