EU flags at Last Night of the Proms

Foxygloves

^That's what 'they' want, isn't it^ ?
Oh let’s have a bunfight about the choice of music at the Proms now shall we?
(Rammy in an empty room springs to mind?)
PS I was blown away by the Berlioz Les Troyens - at 5 1/2 hours it was fantastic value for money too)

The reference was meant to be to parochialism.

I trust that no-one would ever seriously suggest that the music played at the Proms should be by British composers only.

(I actually find the Rule Britannia bit a trifle nauseating in view of the idiocy into which Britannia has lapsed in the past 7 years.)

BlueBelle

I love the EU flag waving we should never be in the position we are in Good for them

completely agree

I guess the Brexiteers would ban Bach, Mendelssohn, Beethoven. Ravel and many other EU composers.

I bet they wouldn't ban Wagner!

M0nica

I bet they wouldn't ban Wagner!

Good point! Hitler's favourite composer.

jenpax

I am a European as well as a Brit and I have always felt European first and British second so if I had been there I would have waved an EU flag too! I can’t see the problem! We may have left the EU but geographically we are still Europeans!

Me too.

I applaud the way in which the Proms have expanded the range of music that is played. This year I enjoyed the Northern Soul prom and loved the Four Seasons led by the Finnish violinist/conductor. The audience thoroughly enjoyed both of those nights.

Long live the BBC I say for organising the Prom season.

I'm very interested to hear why some people refer to themselves as European first. I'm not saying there's anything wrong but I'd love to know when this started.

I'm 63 now. When I was growing up we knew we were from the continent of Europe but nobody I knew referred to themselves as European. British/ English/ Scottish etc etc, but never European.

Europe is such a fabulous continent. Filled with different culture and beliefs

I voted Remsin but I have to say I've never thought of myself as European. Even though I am.

Louella12

I'm very interested to hear why some people refer to themselves as European first. I'm not saying there's anything wrong but I'd love to know when this started.

I'm 63 now. When I was growing up we knew we were from the continent of Europe but nobody I knew referred to themselves as European. British/ English/ Scottish etc etc, but never European.

Europe is such a fabulous continent. Filled with different culture and beliefs

I voted Remsin but I have to say I've never thought of myself as European. Even though I am.

Exactly! My nephew’s wife is Brazilian and I’ve never heard her describe herself as South American.

Whitewavemark2

Freya5

MaizieD

How do the 'patriots' cope with all that foreign music that is played at the Proms?

Perhaps the organisers should stick to British composers only

Yes with 57 composers of British nationality, we'd have plenty to chose from wouldn't we.

Be a tad parochial though

Oh dear.

Grantanow

M0nica

I bet they wouldn't ban Wagner!

Good point! Hitler's favourite composer.

Absolutely vile comment.

Good point! Hitler's favourite composer.
Absolutely vile comment

Just childish and wide of the mark..

Come on people, you’re better than that, saying Brexiters would like Wagner as it was Hitler’s favourite composer.
I voted to Remain and my lovely Mum voted to Leave.

I don’t care what flags are waved TLNOTP’s is all a bit over the top in any case.

Saying European first then British is just weird.Who thinks of the continent first?😄

I agree Oreo.
Nobody is European because Europe is a landmass of many different countries. People maybe French, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Latvian, Finnish, Albanian, Serbian, or any one of many other countries. The UK and Ireland aren’t even physically joined to the European landmass. All European countries have different cultures and values. People can parrot I’m European till the cows come home but they remain citizens of the country they were born in, or emigrated to and took citizenship from. There is no citizenship of Europe.

I voted remain, by the way. Not from some ridiculous love of a continent, nor an organisation, but for solid economic reasons.

Have to admit to getting a bit emotional on the rare occasions I hear Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner. Maybe every 10 years or so. Not only do most people describe themselves as from their own particular country but they break it down to the town/ district they originated from. I have an Austrian friend, she is the same and so is one of my Dutch friends.

Europe is a landmass of which the British isles were originally a part.

The 'individual countries' on the landmass have been pretty fluid entities over the centuries as they passed from ruler to ruler by inheritance or marriage or conquest. Many of the European 'countries' we recognise today were only established in the 19th and 20th centuries

Interestingly, when the country we now know as Germany was a collection of autonomous states the people within them did identify themselves as 'German' on occasion.

Nothing is black and white, maddyone.

Part of my reason for voting Remain in 1975 was to recognise that the UK was as 'european' as the landmass it had been detached from. People don't need to be castigated for saying they feel part of it...

I wasn't enraged by sad losers, the music was brilliant, composers are judged by their work which lives on as its so beautiful.

I do wonder at some of the posters perceived injustices.

And in the real world, I haven’t heard anyone even mention the flags when the proms have come up in conversation. The main topic has been the Northern Soul prom, which was superb. Was anyone really “outraged”, even the few talking heads? Was anyone really “outraged” a few years back when a Brexit supporting group handed out free union flags at the last night?

I’d personally rather see more of the many different and colourful flags from all the different nations and areas of the people attending. It’s interesting to see where all the audience hail from.

But crowd funding’s already well underway for the thousands of EU flags to be handed out in 2024, so let’s look forward to another non story next year.

I would certainly describe myself as Swedish first but I have always felt a strong connection to other Europeans. Thankfully I can still exercise that connection since that right has no been removed from me.

I didn’t see it this year, but aren’t there always all sorts of different flags waved at thenLast Night? I’m sure I’ve seen sundry European national ones, as we as US, Aussie, South African, etc. - and EU.

Greta

I would certainly describe myself as Swedish first but I have always felt a strong connection to other Europeans. Thankfully I can still exercise that connection since that right has no been removed from me.

I still think of myself as English first, still connected to my European families, you know the countries. Not the EU, that's just an umbrella term for Governance.

merlotgran

^I dont consider the "jack2 to be my flag...that would be a Saltire^

What’s the meaning behind Jack2, paddyann?

I haven’t heard it before.

Shouldn't worry about it. Made up probably.

If you Google jack2 you get a radio station 🤣🤣🤣

Either merlotgran was being snide or she really doesn't know....

All about 'jack' flags here.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_(flag)

Technically the Union Jack should only be known as that if it is being used as a jack flag on a naval vessel.

At all other times it is the Union Flag.

But you know what happens with language and usage change...

(P.S the 'jack2' is an obvious typo, IMO)