Just watching a special on BBC America. Some kind of concert called "Proms"?? Part of it took place along the Tyne in Gateshead with the Millennium Bridge in the background. First time I've seen it completed and lit up at night. Absolutely breathtaking!

When I saw an ad for "Proms", I was expecting spotty teenagers in formal dress tumbling out of limos half-pissed. ;-) What I'm seeing is a very pleasant surprise! Anyone know about this event? It looks like the main orchestra is at Royal Albert Hall, with others playing simultaneously at locations around the country. Is this a yearly thing? I'd love to see it sometime in person!

-- Anonymous, September 21, 2001

Answers

The Proms is an annual festival of predominantly Classical music which traditionally culminates in a big showpiece at the Royal Albert Hall when they play a selection of crowd-pleasers, mostly British, and some of the oddest people in the world get to walk around in public. The last night at the proms is always good value although this year they downplayed the usual triumphalism of Vaughan Williams, Elgar et al and played things like Samuel Barber's adagio for strings in respect for the WTC and Washington atrocities. One of the peculiarities of the event is that like all good musos, the crowd don't want anyone to make any noise, so they all bob up and down in time to the music by bending and straightening their knees. There is a wole selection of nerds who dress up as conductors and spend the night waving their batons. Freaks, but highly watchable.

The live broadcasts around the country started after they rigged up a big screen in Hyde Park and realised that plenty more folk than the priviledged few in RAH might want to join in. The bit from Tyneside was the official unveiling of the Gateshead Millenium Blinking Eye Bridge which I took a stroll across on Tuesday. Hugely impressive, but they should pay some cockney to be on hand to have the piss taken as to how Northern ingenuity allows a bridge to both span the river and open to allow ships beneath whilst their latest offering did nothing except bounce about so much that it had to be redesigned. You get a terrific view of the other bridges from the centre of the new one as well, and I dare say the ting will be packed with photographers every time we have a fiery sunset behind the other bridges.

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2001

I dare say the ting will be packed with photographers every time we have a fiery sunset behind the other bridges.

Bliddy Hell. It's gonna be nicked. Now we knaa where Auf Weirdersehen Pet got their next story line from. The Transporter's only a ruse. Have you alerted the authorities Softie? There might be a reward in it for you - especially if you can persuade dem Oirish ti nick the Transporter from under the (smelly) noses of the Smoggies.

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2001

The 'Sir Henry Wood Promenade' concerts, an annual series of classical concerts, as Softie says, running just about every day/evening from July to September, every concert, I think, being broadcast by Radio 3 and sometimes in parallel with BBC 2 tv.

The programme covers just about every type of music known to man, and it's still reckoned to be quite an honour to be invited to perform.

In recent years, they've been extended on the last night to include simultaneous open air concerts in various other parts of the country, but originally only Hyde Park.

And you're right Ciara, well worth a try, not that I've been to a live one yet, but there's enough comes across from the televised ones, especially if you have a decent stereo radio, to get a good idea.

The traditional programme on the last night turns the thing into a bit of a circus, but was changed for this year. As well as the Barber adagio, they did the last movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony, which was absolutely stunning, even just televised.

One of these years, maybe, when me lottery numbers come up. :-)

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2001

Sounds like a lot of fun! I love watching freaks. And yes, the finale of Beethoven's 9th was incredible. I got goosebumps on goosebumps listening to it. :-)

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2001

I must admit I often give the last night of the Proms a miss - it is so tacky at times. I made an exception this year - having missed only the first half thanks to Virgin Trains.

It always used to be a tradition that Beethoven's 9th was performed on the Friday before the last night but some oaf decided to change that about 6 or 7 years ago.

One of my best ever moments in a concert hall was the only time I have ever heard the 9th symphony performed live. It was at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester and was the nearest I have ever come to having what folk would call a "religious" experience. Awesome.

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2001

And he was deef as a post. Incredible.

Ah've had a canny neet the neet, and I haven't been across the doors.

A delicious dinner, courtesy of my darling wife, and Verdi's Rigoletto on BBC 2 and Radio 3. A first for me, Rigoletto, and an absolutely stunning performance, safely tucked away on tape for future reference.

Just needs Screacher to have predicted correctly, and the weekend could hardly be better.

Even managed all of the Premiership bar the chat and the adverts - a mean, howweh, Rigoletto wasn't that good. :-))

Ah'll cringe when I sober up and read this the morrer - er, later on the day.

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2001