Promming

I've been a bit quiet lately for various reasons. Partly the whole having to move house thing, partly very busy at work, partly just got nothing to say. Except I have. I've seen and heard lots recently that's made me angry or annoyed me, or fascinated me, but I've found after telling the cat I've forgotten what I wanted to say.

So...

Hopefully some profundinties to come soon. But in the meantime I've just bought myself some tickets for this year's Proms season. Can't afford it but if you're going to push your credit card, push it on something good, that's what I say.

A few years ago I splashed out and bought two tickets for several concerts and then took various friends along. My girlfriend at the time had never been to anything like it and I introduced her to Shostakovitch's fifth symphony (ripped off in the soundtrack to 'Troy' incidentally, along with Britten's War Requiem) and Beethoven's 9th symphony. Both great hits with her. For the Shostakovitch we sat in the Choir, right behind the brass section - great choice as it turns out, it really made the music as 'live' as I think it could ever be.

If you've never been to the Proms and get the chance you should go. It's worth just turning up on the night and trying to get in to the promenade area or the upper gallery. You have to stand, but it's only about five pounds and the atmoshere is great.
A couple of times I've gone on spec to a Prom - the first time with a friend and her sisters. It turned out it was a concert of french music, stuff I'd never heard of. It wasn't particularly crowded and we ended up sitting on the floor for most of it. The atmosphere was so relaxed people were lying down reading newspapers while listening to the music, which turned out to be hidden treasures. A fantastic night.

The BBC should be eternally lauded for running the Proms - great music (old warhorses, non-repetoire stuff and lots of specially commissioned new music), great atmosphere and very, very cheap. Add in a meal before or afterwards and you've got a great evening.
All the concerts are broadcast live on the radio and internet and some on TV.

So what have I plumped for this year?
There's another Shostakovitch symphony - the tenth - and some of my favourite English classical music: Vaughan Williams' 'London' and 'Sea' Symphonies and Elgar's Dream of Gerontius.
Now I just have to find some people to take!