Land of Hope and Glory- Last Night of the Proms

Underock1

Underock1

Senior Member
Location
Suburban NJ
A few years ago I found a You Tube video of "The Last Night of the Proms." I forget the particular year. They have quite a few. It just absolutely blew me away. Albert Hall packed to every square inch, the crowds outside in Hyde Park and in Swansea. Without the music it was incredible. They make a big deal about Times Square on New Years Eve. Its not even comparable. When you throw in Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance", and these enormous crowds singing "Land of Hope and Glory", each waving the flag of their country, its absolutely overwhelming. I just watched it again tonight. Makes me cry every time.
The thing is that the song is blatantly imperialistic, religious, and English, and I am none of those things. So why does it get me? I think partly its seeing that many people united in celebration and enjoying themselves without violence. Then I guess I always have been a bit of an Anglophile. There is also the happy realization that there are still that many people in the world who appreciate real music. I know the UK has its problems, but that night certainly makes you feel that there will always be an England! With all of your problems and discontent, I envy you.
 
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Thankyou Underock for such a lovely post, I very much enjoy watching and listening to The Last Night Of The Proms, it brings a tear to the eyes and makes me feel so very patriotic........................what is also so good about The Last Night Of The Proms it is all generations that participate in the audience and so enthusiastic.:)
 
Bee said:
Thankyou Underock for such a lovely post, I very much enjoy watching and listening to The Last Night Of The Proms, it brings a tear to the eyes and makes me feel so very patriotic........................what is also so good about The Last Night Of The Proms it is all generations that participate in the audience and so enthusiastic.:)
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You are quite welcome. Its amazing. The 2012 BBC video was the best. That really caught the enormity of the crowds and the enthusiasm.
Sadly; while you can still see it on You Tube, they have deleted the sound because of copywrite. There are many other years posted though.
 
Such a shame the sound has been deleted, although if I haven't managed to watch when the programme is broadcast on tv, I usually turn to Youtube to watch and listen.:)
 
Bee said:
The sound is still on with this one.

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Thanks, Bee, but it won't play.It says it contains content from Ponycannon and is not available in my country. Amazing that it knows where I am. Isn't it? Its O.K. though. There are a number of other years on You Tube. I just watched one from 2004. Its not just the music or the huge crowds. Its the people. They know how to have a good time. The back and forth between the crowd and the conductor is just so natural and spontaneous. No obnoxious types ruining it for everybody. I know you guys have your soccer rowdies and all but as a whole people, you have my sincere admiration.
 
I love watching the Last Night of the Proms too. We could never pull it off like the Poms do.
There is a similar atmosphere when Andre Rieu plays a concert in his home town of Maastrich.
Everyone loves the music and they are all joyously engaged.
 
IMO, the Last Night of the Proms has been "dumbed down" a lot in recent years. It used to be a great concert celebrating the end of another year of the world's greatest classical music festival. Now it seems to be a mass spectator sport where the music takes second place to simply being there. Shame, because the music is great. Don't know if you can hear/watch it in the US, but every concert is broadcast in the UK.

The words of "Land of hope and Glory" were written for Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance March no.1" By Arthur C Benson.
The thing that really annoys me is when people get the words of Auld Lang Syne wrong. It is not "For the sake of Auld Lang Syne", but simply "For Auld Lang Syne".
 
Underock1 said:
Thanks, Bee, but it won't play.It says it contains content from Ponycannon and is not available in my country. Amazing that it knows where I am. Isn't it? Its O.K. though. There are a number of other years on You Tube. I just watched one from 2004. Its not just the music or the huge crowds. Its the people. They know how to have a good time. The back and forth between the crowd and the conductor is just so natural and spontaneous. No obnoxious types ruining it for everybody. I know you guys have your soccer rowdies and all but as a whole people, you have my sincere admiration.
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Sorry Underock, I had forgotten that not all videos will play in all countries.
 
Capt Lightning said:
IMO, the Last Night of the Proms has been "dumbed down" a lot in recent years. It used to be a great concert celebrating the end of another year of the world's greatest classical music festival. Now it seems to be a mass spectator sport where the music takes second place to simply being there. Shame, because the music is great. Don't know if you can hear/watch it in the US, but every concert is broadcast in the UK.

The words of "Land of hope and Glory" were written for Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance March no.1" By Arthur C Benson.
The thing that really annoys me is when people get the words of Auld Lang Syne wrong. It is not "For the sake of Auld Lang Syne", but simply "For Auld Lang Syne".
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Excellent post, couldn't agree more. For the first time since they started televising it I didn't watch it this year. Too glitzy and too commercialised, and not about the music any more.

I dread the thought of the New Year's Concert from Vienna going the same way; there are already worrying signs.
 
Warrigal said:
I love watching the Last Night of the Proms too. We could never pull it off like the Poms do.
There is a similar atmosphere when Andre Rieu plays a concert in his home town of Maastrich.
Everyone loves the music and they are all joyously engaged.
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Yeah. We always enjoyed Rieu's concerts too.
 
Laurie said:
Excellent post, couldn't agree more. For the first time since they started televising it I didn't watch it this year. Too glitzy and too commercialised, and not about the music any more.

I dread the thought of the New Year's Concert from Vienna going the same way; there are already worrying signs.
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Another of our favorites. I've noticed that too. Too much technology available. The creative types can't resist using it.
"We've done that so many times" is the death knell of everything good. Willie Boskofski (?) was still the best. He loved the standards.
 
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