The BBC Proms today announces the full programme for the CBeebies Prom, taking place on Saturday 23 July at 11am and 3pm at the Royal Albert Hall. Created especially for the Proms’ youngest audience members, it features music reflecting an Ocean Adventure, with special animations including CBeebies favourites JoJo & Gran Gran and Hey Duggee.
CBeebies Prom: Ocean Adventure is being led by conductor Kwamé Ryan and will include two new commissions; Whalesong by Mason Bates, which celebrates the majesty and power of the earth’s largest animal, and blends whale song with a symphonic narrative about a lone whale, and Dolphin Dance by Dominque Le Gendre, inspired by the sea life of St. Lucia. The Prom is being performed by theSouthbank Sinfonia, as well as Steel Pan players Navina Nallamuthu, Delphina James, Elaine So, and Mason Bates will perform on electronics in his piece with the orchestra.
Mason Bates said: “When Kwamé Ryan asked me if I’d be interested in composing a piece for the BBC Proms on the topic of oceans for CBeebies audiences, I was immediately intrigued. The theme Ocean Adventure is crucial if we want to keep the oceans of our future healthy. I’ve created Whalesong, which integrates actual recordings of whales into the orchestra. This is my first commission for the BBC Proms and I’m so excited to perform it with Kwamé and the Southbank Sinfonia at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s also my honour to dedicate the piece to one of the world’s greatest communicators and protagonists for conservation, Sir David Attenborough.”
Dominique Le Gendre said: “I was thrilled to receive this CBeebies Prom commission for a new work conceived as an ocean journey through the waters and sea life of St. Lucia. It has been great fun to come up with a palette of instrumental colours and music that vividly bring to life the warm, transparent waters of the Caribbean and its dynamic energy that have all been a constant presence throughout my life.”
The Prom, which is produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family in partnership with the BBC Proms, will be presented by CBeebies presenters Nigel Clarke, Rory Crawford, Andy Day, Chantelle Lindsay, Maddie Moate and Puja Panchkoty, and the music will feature a diverse list of composers including Eleanor Alberga, Dani Howard, Telemann, Ravel, Elgar and Britten, and there will be a special medley of CBeebies theme tunes arranged by Daniel Whibley.
On screen in the Royal Albert Hall, the CBeebies Prommers will be helped to remember the creatures they meet and the sounds they hear with JoJo & Gran Gran’s Ocean Adventure Scrapbook, and, Hey Duggee has a treat for every CBeebies Prommer.
The CBeebies Proms are relaxed performances, which are designed to suit individuals or groups who feel more comfortable attending concerts in a relaxed environment. There is a relaxed attitude to noise and audience-members are free to leave and re-enter the auditorium at any point. There will be chill-out areas, where spaces are made for anyone needing a bit of quiet time before or during the performance.
The 3pm concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and will be recorded for future broadcast on CBeebies.