5 Comments

1. 

   EDWARD CLARK on September 13, 2020 at 9:21 am

   This was a bold attempt at recovery from the earlier mishaps.
   We heard a nice balance between Broadway frivolity and Sibelian quiet enchantment.
   In between the Establishment was taken to task by the dismantlement of our sacred Jerusalem which would have hardly ingratiated itself with Downing Street.
   No matter. We reached the point of national rejoicing with lusty singing of our iconic and never to be messed with again anthems by Elgar and Parry.
   God bless them.

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2. 

   Jens Fredriksen on September 13, 2020 at 9:25 am

   This cleverly arranged last night of the Proms (featuring a surprising amount of slow music) was ruined by the appalling arrangement (more accurately derangement) of Sir Hubert Parry’s Jerusalem. A soprano sang some of Blake’s words accompanied by a tinpantonal racket which paid no attention to the melody nor to its rhythm. Unfortunately no prommers were there to react with jeers and boos and popping of balloons but maybe thay could appoint a committee (of six) to organise a public burning of the score.

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3. 

   ANON on September 13, 2020 at 10:50 am

   I came away feeling a bit short-changed, but I have overwhelming memories of how the event usually runs. I hope after all their headline-making fuss Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson enjoyed singing along, but one wonders if they even watched it – except maybe as background to having a few pints or a glass of Chablis while someone else changes the baby’s nappie.

   The BBCSO is a fine orchestra and they did a very fine job. I liked the singer. The Lark was a bit droopy and ponderous. The new Jerusalem work didn’t work for me either, as a component in an LNoP programme, but that doesn’t mean I think it was junk – just that it did not fit as a course in the dinner menu of LNoP.

   One joy was that the picture and orchestral sound quality was head and shoulders above that of so many inhouse Covid productions coming out of the orchestras and venues. Some have been mindnumbingly poor quality. The chorus sounded a bit lightweight yesterday, but I guess there had not been the budget to do a more complex job.

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4. 

   Andrew Keener on September 13, 2020 at 2:04 pm

   We can all argue with this or that aspect/emphasis/choice of repertoire/texts (I’m certainly no exception), and it was hard not to be saddened by the inevitably lonely feeling of it all. But I hope that there will be many who, like me, take their hats off to the determination of spirit, imagination in adversity and the sheer technical skill of all involved. And even the presenter’s customary oleaginous gurglings seemed gratifyingly distracted by her two guests’ sensitive and pertinent contributions – two of the better ones of this truncated season.

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   • 

     Richard Bennett on September 14, 2020 at 7:42 pm

     I can only echo Andrew Keener’s praise for the expertise of the BBC’s technical people, who produced a televisual triumph. Notwithstanding all the (mostly unwarranted) slings and arrows habitually hurled at the Corporation, what we got was a beautifully produced and brilliantly executed concert, in which musical values were demonstrably of a higher order than anyone might have reasonably expected given current restraints. And a joyful ‘Two Ronnies’ sketch afterwards. All in all, what an enjoyable couple of hours!

     Reply

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