The Proms is a summer-long classical music festival based at the Royal Albert Hall with something for all you classical music fans to enjoy.
The First Night at the Proms features an all-British line up featuring two major responses to WWI; Holst’s The Planets (1918) and Vaughan William’s choral work Toward the Unknown Region.
A work by Ann Meredith called Five Telegrams draws on communications sent by young soldiers in 1918 and features specially produced digital projections.
The Proms, or Promenade Concerts, have their origins in the pleasure gardens of 18th Century London. Moving to indoor venues in Victorian London, the Proms were designed by impresario Robert Newman to popularise concert music to a wider audience, and he achieved that aim with the assistance of conductor Henry Wood with the first Prom in 1895.
Following Newman’s death in 1927 the running of the concerts was taken over by the BBC.
This year there are 75 different concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, including the famous Last Night of the Proms, and a series of related events such as the BBC’s Proms in the Park held in Hyde Park.
The Last Night of the Proms has a party atmosphere and will feature the music of Stanford, Parry and Elgar – think Songs of the Sea and Pomp and Circumstance.
For a full calendar of events, ticket sales, social media and broadcast details visit the BBC Proms website.
There's so much on the radio and TV that you could enjoy hosting your own Proms Party. Get your guests to dress as if they were attending the Royal Albert Hall and serve champagne, Pimms and cocktail food.
