Adès Conducts the BBC SO

Thomas Adès Conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Royal Albert Hall

Image: https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e38rn3

Cycled into work again today, after my schedule forced me away from it last week. Got the journey down to about fifteen minutes now, or maybe just over. I'm very fortunate because the route I take avoids all roads; there's a stretch along the Bridgewater canal, then the rest is foot/cycle paths, an underpass, and one leafy through-route that has long since been closed to traffic. Could not be more ideal.

The Prom tonight is all about nature, we're told. 'Great!' I think, 'that means it'll be a nice relaxing one. Might even listen to this in the living room for a change.'

The first piece is Sibelius's The Swan of Tuonela, and I really like it. While it could be classed as relaxing, it's not especially peaceful. There's like a rich, dark-chocolate undercurrent. Very smooth! The strings are gentle, but unsettling - bleak. Like a rainy day. Then a woodwind instrument joins in - it sounds like an oboe? [My friend ChatGPT informs me that it's actually a cor anglais AKA English horn. Wikipedia confirms that this instrument 'is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family' - I'm getting good at this!].

Next up is something called Breathing Forests by Gabriella Smith. Clear from the offset that this is going to be one of those 'abstract' ones. This ain't a forest you're going to tread after dark, and I'm now glad I didn't move proceedings into the living room. Starts off with chaotic organ in the high octaves. The repeating loops sound like Philip Glass on ecstasy, and there's a moment later on that puts me in mind of Bach's Toccata and Fugue played at 10x speed. We were sold this work with one word: Organic! But while organic can denote a Timotei shampoo commercial, it can also mean biting into an apple and discovering a maze of wormholes. If this music is a politico-artistic statement it works, of that I am sure. Would I place it in the CD tray of my HiFi and listen to it for pleasure? Absolutely not.

Before I talk about the music of the second half, I might add as a matter of interest that I have my own little history with Shakespeare's The Tempest. This was the play I did for A-level English Lit, and our sixth form class went out to see a production of it at the Liverpool Playhouse. I think was 2006? [just had a look at the Everyman/Playhouse website https://everymanplayhouse.com/event/the-tempest/, and it seems the run was Fri 30 Sep – Sat 22 Oct 2005 - makes sense now I think about it! How was that twenty years ago for God's sake?!]. That production has stuck in my memory as a meta tragicomedy. During the interval, the safety curtain came down in the theatre as one would expect. Only trouble was, it wouldn't go back up. We the audience were sent home with a flea in our ear and the promise of a refund. It was not until 2022 that I finally saw the play in its entirety, courtesy of local theatrical company The Hillbark Players, who appear, typically biennially, in the grounds of Royden Park during summer months. My next ambition is to see The Tempest performed at the Minack theatre in Porthcurno.

On to the music, and the second half starts with Five Spells from The Tempest by Thomas Adès, who is also conducting. The opening does not hang around, and we're taken straight into the thick of the action without so much as an introduction. It's stormy waters, all right. Does do an effective job of portraying the themes of The Tempest, though. Nice piece.

And the Sibelius doesn't go wrong. At one point I'm transported to that spinning shed on the Wizard of Oz, and for that evocation alone he earns his stripes with me.

Image created with ChatGPT

Sibelius, Mozart, Arvo Pärt and Gavin Higgins (Bristol)

Sibelius, Mozart, Arvo Pärt and Gavin Higgins

Bristol Beacon

This was an early evening Prom but I'm tuning in via BBC Sounds, a few hours after the live broadcast. In preparation, I've walked over to Irby village and bought myself a bottle of Ayinger from the Crafty Tavern [a specialist beer/ales shop], and a Twirl multi-pack from Irby Local. I do like a dark ale, with my current favourite being the Augustiner Dunkel. I'd say this Ayinger is a touch more hoppy/malty than the Augustiner, and it ain't half bad! Just what I'm in the mood for :)

The Sibelius starts off superbly. The strings are like silk, and this feeling is sustained throughout. A bit of peace and relaxation, finally - thanks BBC Sounds, glad I tuned in! 

Next up it's Tabula Rasa by Arvo Pärt. If I was worried it was going to break away from the feel of the Sibelius, then I needn't have. The strings gel together on multiple levels, and it follows the mood of the previous piece we heard. It' a bit melancholic, mind. It's the sort of music that would play out in a film scene where a character is having a reflective moment about the episodes and events that have made up their life so far. Perfect background music for a beer and some chocolate. I vowed I wouldn't use the word 'sublime' this weekend, but it's hard not to in the face of something so... sublime! I'm becoming slightly inebriated from the drink as this piece goes on, and the music only adds to what becomes an opioid level of relaxation. Indeed, I haven't felt this good since the Fentanyl/Midazolam cocktail I was given before my colonoscopy at Arrowe Park hospital last year.

Rough Voices by Gavin Higgins offers something of a sobering-up. The opening is like a bucket of cold water. Not that pleasant at all after the previous music. It does settle down, but with a dark undercurrent. 

Mozart finishes us off. Feels a bit pompous in places, but isn't that what Mozart is all about?!

One Fine Prom!

Paraorchestra and The Breath (Bristol)

Paraorchestra and The Breath
Bristol Beacon

Bristol is a city I have only become familiar with in the last four years, with my first visit being in September 2021. I've since been back a few times, and I never pass up on an opportunity to return. The word 'bohemian' often comes up, and I totally agree. I love the contemporary Brisolian in-your-face multi-culturalism, and take satisfaction in knowing that those 'controversial philanthropist' shithouses, like Edward Colston, would turn in their graves if they could see this peaceful and happily-mixed city today.

And it's the Bristol Beacon, formerly known as Colston Hall, that hosts tonight's Prom. When I'm in town I always like to see a show if there's something on, and in the past I've visited the Bristol Old Vic and The Bristol Hippodrome. But, alas, not yet the Bristol Beacon. So I don't know much about the venue itself. I have a look online at some interior pictures, and it reminds me of The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, or even our own Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool.

In my ignorance, for some reason I thought the Paraorchestra was something to do with parachutes. I think it's because there's an annual hot air balloon parade in Bristol, isn't there? But no, the Paraorchestra is in fact an orchestra formed of members with disabilities. I didn't know such a thing existed, but why shouldn't it?

Tonight it is a duo called The Breath, and they're being accompanied by the Paraorchestra, led by Charles Hazelwood. 

The music starts and, to me, it sounds folky. With a name like The Breath, that now makes sense. It's like an EPIC folk music. Hard to put my finger on it, but a bit like singing around a campfire, on a large scale. There's some interesting instrumentation. Is that a low Irish tin whistle? And I think I hear some uillean pipes? I think it's Ríoghnach Connolly (that makes sense), who talks during a break in the music, and she's both witty and human. She mentions Belgian colonial hand-chopping when talking about the song Antwerp, and I note that as a shrewdly-observed quip.

Some of the inflections remind me of the music of Jose Gonzales, and I'm a fan of his. [One of the best concerts I ever saw was him at the Royal Festival Hall, backed by the String Theory orchestra, in 

2017].

A Prom that offers me something new is always welcome, and I see that The Breath have a gig coming up at the Davenham Players theatre in Northwich, on Thursday 25th September. It's about a 25 mins drive away from my house, so I may well pop along to that.

Image: Pixabay.com

Mahler, and Monolgues for the Curious

Tonight marked a shift in my attendance at the proms, as I gladly welcomed the Royal Albert Hall into my back kitchen via BBC Radio 3.

I was unsure what to expect, but I would actually say the absence of the visuals sort of enhanced the experience!

The introductory preamble was muted somewhat by my meal-for-one finishing off in the microwave [a co-op irresistible chicken and chorizo paella that I picked up on my lunch break this afternoon - my Monday routine being somewhat skewered by arriving back from London at 10pm last night].

It’s the BBC philharmonic orchestra this evening (note to self: must once again look up the distinction between concert, philharmonic, and symphony orchestras).

We start off with a proms premiere, Tom Coult’s Monologues for the Curious. And I have to say I am very curious when I hear the music has been inspirited by the writings of MR James. I am familiar with the author’s Christmas ghost stories, so this is surely going to be something dark, erratic, and a bit confusing? The Jamesian imagery certainly came out in the music, and I felt a resoance with my own mood as I sat alone, tucking into my microwaved fare.

Next up we have Gustav Mahler’s Symphony no. 7. The opening, to my untrained mind, sounded heavy on the big-end brass, and akin to the opening of an early Hitchcock movie. The piece then moves on to some more subtle nuances, and minuscule fanfares. A bit later on I get the feeling of being lost in a forest, and as it progressed I jotted down some things without trying to think about it. They were, in order:

1) A troubled peace

2) Some pomp and a grand statement

3) A confusion between it all.

And that was that. I wonder if my learned friends were as blissfully confused as I was?

Vivaldi and Bach

Sunday 20th July 2025

11am The Royal Albert Hall

An 11am matinee prom - probably the earliest time I’ve ever attended the RAH for a concert in all the years I’ve been attending rock concerts there. At first I thought the hall was not going to fill up in the same way it had done the night before, but more people continued to pour in, and it looked like nearly a full house.

Before the musicians took to stage, the first thing I noticed was that the empty space on the stage benches - in other words, this was not going to be a full orchestra, but centered rather on just string instruments and a harpsichord. I’m not sure what this outfit is called, but I recognise it as typical of interpreting the baroque (Vivaldi/ Bach) period.

The show started with the main man, Théotime Langlois de Swarte, standing at the top of the stage area, playing some solo violin to begin, soon being joined by the rest of Le Consort. I am reminded of just how well the Royal Albert Hall’s acoustic set up allows for this type of music: every nuance of soft pizzicato can be heard a crisp.

Many of the pieces - although by famous composers - I had not heard of, but I enjoyed them all the same. Each was played with elegance and, as already mentioned, the hall’s acoustics enabled every person in the room to hear every note, regardless of where they were sitting.

Of course, the one I had been waiting for was the mega-famous opening of Summer, from Vivaldi’s four seasons. As this was playing I took a quick look away from the stage and at the hall as a whole - a very powerful moment.

There was a lovely melancholic encore, along with a reprise of Summer - which pleased the entire room! 

Samara Joy

Always fun to attend the Royal Albert Hall in person, and tonight was no exception. I love the place, and I’m seldom happier than when I stroll across Kensington Gardens from my hotel, to reach the RAH, where, invariably, I am in for a night of world-class entertainment.

Arrived at the Albert Hall ahead of time. Outside I was handed a ‘newspaper’ and sticker by everythingjazz.com. I happily accepted.  

I had just enough time to peruse the proms and RAH merchandise in the foyer. Picked up my ‘must-have’ proms guide - a nice heavy yellow book priced £9.99, and also the programme for tonight’s specific entertainment (£7). 

Notes on the venue:

Tonight I was sat in Rausing circle P, row 3, seat 1. The weather outside was muggy and humid - typical July - and I did struggle to cool down inside the hall. I noticed a few fellow prommers fanning themselves with programmes.

Not that that took away any of the magic of the show:

For the show itself:

Well, what a night of sublime jazz at the RAH last night! In this run I had to chose one weekend when I could afford to attend the proms in person, and I don’t regret choosing this weekend.

I had not heard of Samara Joy before, but I am sure her name will be one to remember. Just 25 years old, she has a voice and stage presence way ahead of her years. 

It is hard to pick a favourite song because it was, honestly, all stand out. If there was a stronger half, I would say it was the second (cue outfit change, from white to red!)

Sticking in my memory are the Billy Holliday and Duke Ellington covers, the 5 (was it?) shades of love, and the encore.

And encore, I say!

 

Introduction

My name is Andy Lewis, and in 2016 I attended one of the proms at the Royal Albert Hall. It was prom 48: Matthius Pintscher and Mendelssohn: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07pdz6f

Image: BBC

The Royal Albert Hall is no stranger to me. I have attended many rock concerts there over the years, but this was the first classical/orchestral concert I had seen there.

I remember being taken by the format of the Proms, and I liked how there was an allocation of standing tickets that one could purchase on the day, with people choosing to stand, sit, kneel, and even lie down to listen to the music, as long as the space allowed. 

I had a fantasy of - one day - living in central London and attending the entire season of the proms. I would walk out my front door every day, and carelessly stroll to the hall to listen to that days offering - just like any respectable man about town would do. Alas, that lottery win has not yet come to pass. Even if it did, chances of having enough time to attend every concert physically would be an ambitions one. That’s why, this year - with an empty diary throughout most of July, August, and September, I have set myself a challenge to “attend” every prom via broadcast; whether TV or radio.

To make the occasion more meaningful, I have booked a couple of proms to attend in person, and I have decided to keep a record (this blog) of my lay-person’s musings and thoughts on each event. I have no formal education in music, but I probably know (just about) enough to hold my own. 

Hope you enjoy my accounts!

Andy

First Night of the Proms

Ironically, I wasn’t able to watch the first night of the proms as it was going out live, because I was double booked! I had booked to go see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Liverpool Empire.

So it was that I watched the broadcast on a National Express coach (on my way down to see the second night in person), using my trusty Lenovo tablet. 

It was fitting that Mendelssohn opened the first night, because it was his theme to a midsummer nights dream that I had seen back in 2016, at my one and only previous proms attendance.

My only prior encounter of Sibelius was from my time of using the eponymous computer software in GSCE music at high school. As it turns out, there is more to discover about the Finnish composer; not least of all that he apparently had a penchant for violins.

His concerto is apparently famous for being a tough outing on the soloist. Hearing the piece, I can understand why, but it is played to perfection by Lisa Batiashvili. I am particularly impressed with her handspan across the instrument, and the vibratos played on the higher registers.

Next up is a living composer whom I’ve never heard of. Errollyn Wallen is interviewed by the BBC presenters, and I’m interested to learn about her composing routine, and that she is the resident composer for his Maj the king of England, no less. In any case, I really like her piece of music that is played, which I can understand has been put together in context of abstract shapes and colours. I’m keen to know more about her music when I get time!

Finally the Vaughn Williams piece, which I think is an opera sung in English. By this time my bus journey has been dragging on a bit, and my concentration is starting to wane slightly despite my best efforts. Nonetheless, I notice the nicely coordinated outfit colours of the choir, and can only praise this opening night of the season!