BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts

Des Canyons aux Etoiles
This Prom offered a welcome opportunity to hear the Ensemble Modern Orchestra working with one of its regular collaborators, George Benjamin, as conductor, composer and arranger. That latter guise first...
Casken Premiere
One of the many pleasures available to the seasoned Proms-goer is to chart the development of particular living composers as they are regularly revisited thanks to the munificence of the...
Czech Mates
Founded by Jiří Bělohlávek just ten years ago, the Prague Philharmonia has quickly established itself as a chamber orchestra of excellence, its musicians displaying commitment, skill and joy. This was...
The Immortal
The first interface between east and west at this year’s Proms – one of the main themes – came in the shape of the first-ever BBC World Service commission, from...
The Ring Dance of the Nazarene
A choral concert of contrasts for this late-night Prom, with two major works separated by a short arrangement – made just 25 years ago – by Harrison Birtwistle. Not that...
Elgar, Delius, Holst
This well-planned programme – Delius and Holst sandwiched between two of Elgar's finest pieces (all the composers passing away in 1934) – attracted a full house. It turned out to...
Chamber Music No.1
The first of the Monday lunchtime “Proms Chamber Music” recitals, and an instructive pairing of major works by Czech composers who, though born just thirteen years apart andcolleagues for part...
Dimitrij
The centenary year of Dvořák's death has brought – in London at least – the expected plethora of 'New Worlds' and Cello Concertos, and a healthy quota of the orchestral...
The Nation’s Favourite Prom
Upon entering the Royal Albert Hall, one could see a smoky haze lurking about the ceiling; the reason for this was to become all too apparent during the final item...
The First Night
“We are the music makers / And we are the dreamers of dreams…” – the opening of Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s ode The Music Makers and a reflection of the spirit in...
Broken Consort
John Casken talks about his new Symphony, a BBC commission, to be premiered at Proms 2004 on 22 JulyGiven the remarkable examples that we already have of the genre, even...
Leonard Slatkin on Proms 2004
It is July and that can only mean one thing: another Proms season is upon us. For me this will be a particularly meaningful year, as it will mark the...
BBC Proms 2004: A personal introduction from the editor
The Proms are with us again. This year’s launch remained British, the Library replacing last year’s Museum as the imposing location, Nicholas Kenyon this year having a separate get-together for...
Prom 73 – The Last Night
And so to the Last Night – the 109th, as Leonard Slatkin mentioned in his speech. Looking ahead, next year’s Proms start on Friday 16 July and the first concert...
Prom 72 – The Shadow of Night
It’s good to see that even a Proms era of continued and varied change can still accommodate the once mandatory Beethoven Nine on the penultimate night. Even better that the...