Last Night of the Proms

Watched this on catch up, fast forwarded through the not so interesting bits.
Yes, Lesley Garrett was a pain, all the eye mopping was just so OTT.
I liked seeing the landscapes as the wonderful Lark Ascending was played, Nicola Bennedetti looked and was stunning.
Jerusalem sent shivers down my spine, as always.

Didn’t like pc Jerusalem with the commonwealth dragged in.
Lesley Garrett was blinking annoying on Zoom, overly enthusiastic. Vaughan Williams and Elgar cannot be beaten but sent me blubbering. The Britten arrangement of the national anthem makes a boring piece more interesting.

I loved it especially the lack of idiots blowing whistles

But that's the whole point of the Last Night. It's the finale to weeks of wonderful music. Flags, silly hats, whistles and rousing choruses of much loved songs.

God forbid some people might be having some fun!

I loved it especially the lack of idiots blowing whistles, coughing an sneezing, just the music, magical

Yes! Our neighbour used to always manage to go and get a place amongst the crowd at the front (he was a musician).
A true Prommer.

and the cello in Tom Bowling was very moving and much better without the noisy crowds

I agree but we did used to chuckle when a long line of hankies would be pulled out of a prommer's pocket and passed along the line.

I do love a it of sentimental twaddle, especially old musicals.

But I also thought The Lark Ascending was sublime.

Oops, Callistemon said it was an anthem for our times, Merlotgran quoted her. Sorry ladies.

The Lark Ascending - Nicola Benedetti's rendition was the best I have ever heard - just beautiful. But I agree that the pics that went with it were overdone and distracting - they tried to put too much in - should just have concentrated on one beautiful open area where larks might indeed be found.

The Sibelius was superb - and the cello in Tom Bowling was very moving and much better without the noisy crowds.

As for the weird arrangement of Rule Britannia - quite ridiculous and utterly pointless.

Grandma70s I live on the edge of the Berkshire Downs. In the summer I walk up the hill behind my house and I can here whole choruses of larks. I havehear them on the South Downs as well.

I didn't mind the new version of Jerusalem at all, it was different. You'll Never Walk Alone, like Merlotgran says, an anthem for our time. I looked up "sentimental" and the definition is "prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia", so I'm OK with that.

That soprano was very good indeed, I missed her name so I'll go back and look.

And how nice to see the piper outside our bonnie V&A

I have wonderful memories of walking alone through the flat, peaceful Essex countryside from Maldon to Beeleigh, where I was doing some research at the Abbey, and larks singing high up in the sky. It was magical. Many years ago, though, and perhaps it is all built on now.

Oopsminty

Callistemon

Oh dear, I think You’ll Never Walk Alone is dreadful sentimental twaddle.

Horses for courses.

Exactly, Callistemon

You'll Never Walk Alone has had over 360 cover versions done of it. Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Perry Como, Liberace, Shirley Bassey, Doris Day, Dionne Warwick to name a few.

Hugely successful song.

There is plenty of evidence that a great many people like sentimental twaddle. I don’t, that’s all.

Loved every moment.I thought the reset of Jerusalem was magic. I think William Blake, who wrote the words would have preferred the new versin, edgy and controversial, as was he.

I niggle why were the landscapes shown during 'A Lark Ascending' not landscapes of places where larks could be found. I do get bored with these endless landscape films of mountains and cliffs and high craggy remote places. England, and Vaughan-Williams is quintessentially English, as is the lark is a country of fields and downs (core lark territory), but only a minor niggle.

I'm watching this on catch up and The Lark Ascending has just finished. It was wonderful. The new Jerusalem next, let's see how that goes!

Jessye Norman's version is very powerful.

It depends, what some people find twaddle others may find gives them hope in dark times.

Callistemon

^Oh dear, I think You’ll Never Walk Alone is dreadful sentimental twaddle.^

Horses for courses.

Exactly, Callistemon

You'll Never Walk Alone has had over 360 cover versions done of it. Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Perry Como, Liberace, Shirley Bassey, Doris Day, Dionne Warwick to name a few.

Hugely successful song.

I was hoping to see Anoushka Shankar again. I really enjoyed her concert in the week playing the Sitar, after her late great father, Ravi.

You have obviously never been alone and scared, Grandma70s

Oh dear, I think You’ll Never Walk Alone is dreadful sentimental twaddle.

Horses for courses.

Oh dear, I think You’ll Never Walk Alone is dreadful sentimental twaddle.

I enjoyed the rest of this very strange Last Night, though. I do hope we can have the proper version next year.

It is an anthem for our time.

And so appropriate. We were in tears.

Callistemon, I agree with you. A good rendition of our National Anthem, love it or hate it, we are stuck with it so I think we need to make the best of it.
This is the most difficult period in our national life. I've faced some tough times personally but made easier by the fact its been my problem, not one shared by everybody around me. So, there has been the possibility of escaping the sadness, stress or whatever I was struggling with. I'm in one of the areas with a high R rate. It's impossible to escape, even on our long walk in open countryside earlier today almost everyone we met immediately moved the distance away from each other. We met some people in masks on our walk and everyone we passed going into our local supermarket was masked .
Something especially poignant about tonights Last Night of the Proms.

Actually, I thought it was a wonderful rendition of God Save The Queen and seeing the Chelsea Pensioners standing to attention added poignancy. I hope they stay safe.

You'll Never Walk Alone----best song, best singer.What a lovely lady.