What Do You Think About This?

[Theblip]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8655351/BBC-considering-dropping-Rule-Britannia-Land-Hope-Glory-Night-Proms.html

[Jackdaw33]

/Nazi rallies of course having been entirely different in nature, in no way at all (not the slightest smidgeon even) like singing Rule Britannia flag in hand.\\

You've obviously never heard them singing the Horst Wessel Lied. It used to be on You Tube but has since been removed. I wonder why.

[Old_Geezer]

Why would anyone be so foolish to even consider that ? It's an integral part of the spectacle. Must be fake news.

[Mamyalynne]

It's not the first year that the content of the concerts has come under scrutiny and I'm sure it won't be the last.

[mushroom25]

// It's an integral part of the spectacle. //

except there won't be a spectacle this year. There will be no audience, so there can be no Auld Lang Syne. The usual 100-strong choir won't be there to belt out the chorus of Rule Britannia so there's another non-starter. and the orchestra will be shaved to a 15 piece band, rather limiting their repertoire. the whole event must necessarily be different, so is probably ripe for a makeover.

[Mamyalynne]

I also made those points, this year will be different in many ways.

[marval]

I do not want them dropped, but as Mamyalynne said it will be different this year anyway.

[retrocop]

///this year will be different in many ways.//

That's an understatement. Many people ,I imagine ,will now not bother to watch it. It just wouldn't be the same without Rule Brittania and Land of Hope and Glory.

[Mamyalynne]

I'm sure many will watch it still, how else could they say how dreadful they thought it was afterwards?

[lankeela]

"an insider has claimed. " So not actually something the BBC has said they are considering!

[Mozz71]

Without an audience, I can't see the point of The Last Night. It will loose all of it's spectacle.

[10ClarionSt]

In November 2001, my daughter played the opening fanfare at The Royal Albert Hall for the grand concert of The National Festival of Music For Youth. She played a fanfare called "Victory". This was only a matter of weeks after the attack on the twin towers in New York. There had been plans for the closing music to be Land of Hope and Glory. However, because of the general feeling at the time, concert organisers felt it wouldn't be appropriate to sing the usual words, but replaced them with some garbage about peace and reconciliation. The words were printed in the accompanying program but I never read them and sang the words that we all know. Richard Stilgoe was the host and he sang the new words out quite loud, but I wasn't having it.
A great and memorable evening for our family that wasn't going to be ruined for us because of some stupid political correctness.

[Old_Geezer]

A difficulty one year is no excuse to ruin a spectacle forevermore by mucking it up for the sake of it. Too many folk want to make a name for themselves and don't seem to care what they ruin to do it.

[Gromit]

Mamyalynne

// I'm sure many will watch it still, how else could they say how dreadful they thought it was afterwards? //

BA - spot on. :-)

[andy-hughes]

mushroom - // to be awfy picky, the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts were inaugurated in 1895, and taken over by the BBC in 1927. //

1895 - 19th century, 1927 - 20th century, 2020 - 21st century.

That's three centuries.

Be as picky as you like, as long as you are accurate.

[andy-hughes]

pixie - // Actually, andy, I totally disagree that "tradition" is ever an excuse to continue with something irrelevant. However, in this case, it seems totally harmless and certainly sounds better than the God Save the Queen dirge. //

A fair point, and I did not express my point correctly.

I would never wish to dismiss something traditional on the basis that it 'might offend' someone, that is the objection I raised.

But in response to your point, neither would I ever want something carried on simply because it is traditional - on that basis we would still have fox hunting.

I think a case-by-case basis is the way to look at things, and in this case, I think the notion that some nameless group of people 'may be offended' is never an excuse to change anything.

[Caran]

This is one of my favourite programmes of the year.
I cannot agree with any changes to the format of the programme.
It is an English tradition and long may it last.

[retrocop]

I bet there are not many youngsters (pre teen) these days who would actually look forward to it . My elder sister and I tried not to miss it because we loved the quaint British whacky eccentricity especially when they waved their flags in time with Land of Hope and Glory.
I enjoyed the proms as much for the audience participation as the music. I won't bother if there is no audience this year.

[jno]

andy, it's been going 125 years; it's not "centuries" until it's lasted two of them, no matter what year you choose to count from.

[Theland]

Like all of you who had parents and grandparents who went through the horrors of war, and even now in our time, our brave military who have faced battle in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our outstanding Policemen and emergency service personnel who daily risk life and limb for us, I am of the opinion that the Last Night is inextricably linked to our history and national pride, and it is disgraceful that a foreign conductor with the anti-British BBC, with it's PC agenda, should be allowed to tamper with something so dear to our hearts.
I do hope there is such an outcry that hanging their heads in shame, those responsible should be sacked for their outrage.

[tomus42]

I couldn't care less either way. I don't watch it.