The Proms
The Proms is an annual music event held over eight weeks every summer. They were first held in 1895 and today consist of over 70 concerts. Throughout the years, these concerts have generally been staged at the magnificent Royal Albert Hall in London. Proms refers to the way audience members “promenade”, or walk around during the concert – a practice not usually associated with classical concerts. “Prommers”, those who “prom” are now synonymous with our vision of what a Prom consists of – this and of course the ever present union jacks. It is the presence of the flags, the audience involvement and the performance of celebrated composers go into making The Proms a very British institution. The highlight each year is the inevitable Last Night of the Proms, where the audience members run rampant throughout the Royal Albert Hall joining hands and singing every note in joyous patriotic unison. If you were to look up “Britishness” in the dictionary, there would probably appear an image from the Last Night of the Proms in full red, blue and white. Keen to distance itself from its often associated “elitist” label, The Proms has introduced new elements over the years, to huge success. The Blue Peter Prom, aimed at youngsters ran from 1998 to 2007, where it was replaced by the Dr Who Prom capitalising on the rejuvenated popularity of the sci-fi TV series. The Proms has survived wars, and bomb threats and continues to enchant the British public and tourists alike each year. And, this year is no different. Composers and musicians being celebrated are; the 150th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's birth, the 200th anniversaries of Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin and a recreation of the Last Night from 1910. Scheduled conductor for the Last Night will be the Czech maestro Jirí Belohlávek, who also took control in 2007. Don’t miss your chance to experience a unique British experience, buy your Proms tickets today on Seatwave.com. Great tickets available for all Proms.