Last Night of the Proms - Part 2 BBC Proms

The flags are out, the stage is set, the hall is packed. Welcome to the

Last Night of the Proms 2011. Good evening. Tonight is the climax of

the world's greatest music festival. Two months of fabulous music-making

by thousands of musicians from all around the world. As always, there

are Last Night celebrations all around the country. 40,000 people

are just across the road in Hyde Park. In Northern Ireland, at

Bangor in County Down, there are 5,000 people in the grounds of the

castle there. In Scotland, for the second year running, Dundee will be

joining the party with a celebration concert in Caird Hall.

For the first time this year, an artist from the Park is playing in

the Hall. The international renowned Chinese pianist, Lang Lang

enthralled the huge audience at Hyde Park with his keyboard-playing

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Lang Lang will be performing here

in just a few moments. Now, as well as the events in the Parks, there

are big screens all around the country. The Last Night is being

seen on television across the globe, including Australia, New Zealand,

Canada and South Africa. If you would like to follow any of the

Proms in the Parks events at home, press the red button on your remote

control. Later, we will bring all the Parks and the Hall together.

Now, here in the Hall, because of the reception given to both

soloists in the first half, we are running behind and the stage is not

quite ready. We have a chance to hear more music from Hyde Park.

# Dawn's promising skies # Petals on a pool drifting

# Imagine these in one pair of eyes # And this is my beloved

# Strange spice from the south # Honey through the comb sifting

# Imagine these in one eager mouth # And this is my beloved

# And when he speaks # And when he talks to me

# Music! Mystery! # And when he moves

# And when he walks with me # Paradise comes suddenly near

# All that can stir # All that can stun

# All that's for the heart's lifting

# Imagine these in one perfect one # And this is my beloved

# Imagine these in one perfect one # And this is my beloved

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Katherine Jenkins in Hyde Park

singing And This Is My Beloved from Kismet. Back here, on stage, you

can see the combined forces of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC

Symphony Chorus. Shortly, they will be joined by tonight's conductor,

Edward Gardner, conducting his first-ever Last Night. As we saw a

few minutes ago, Lang Lang has already had a busy night making

that mad dash to the Royal Albert Hall to play Liszt's First Piano

Concerto. He is going to raise the curtain with Chopin's Grand

Polonaise brillante. It is the perfect piece for Lang Lang. It is

fiendishly difficult and it is The orchestra on stage now, the BBC

Symphony Orchestra. They are the mainstay of the Proms. They are

making their annual appearance at the Last Night of the Proms. An

extraordinary evening it has been already. The BBC Symphony Orchestra

have already performed 12 concerts this season. Some of the highlights

have included large scale works. As I say, the Last Night of the Proms

is all about the atmosphere and the party in the Hall. Flags from many

nations waving. A great atmosphere, a great feeling of celebration. And

all of them hugely looking forward to hearing Lang Lang perform Chopin.

There he is with the conductor tonight, Edward Gardner. Time for

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Chopin's Grand Polonaise brillante. MUSIC: "Grande Polonaise Brillante"

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE The crowd go wild once more for

Lang Lang, performing Chopin's Grand Polonaise brillante with the

BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner. That is Shelagh

Cohen who was presenting Lang Lang with his Last Night gift from the

Prommers. She's been promming for more than 40 years. She met her

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husband in the queue! I wonder what CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Lang Lang's encore was Liszt's Consolation No3. Wherever he goes,

Lang Lang brings popstar glamour to is to take classical music, playing

and listening, to a wider and younger generation. I think he

manages to do just that. Our next piece is by the Australian-born

pianist and composer, Percy Grainger. Grainger made his first

visit to Scotland as part of a European Tour and he fell in love

with the country. Grainger came across the Gaelic song, Mo Nighean

Dubh - My Dark Haired Maiden. He Here comes Edward Gardner,

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performance of Grainger's My Dark # Dear Knockgowan and the view o't

# Ne'er again we'll see, # O let me gang and tak' adieu o't, # Laoth ma

chree (a term of endearment) wi' thee, # Mo nighean dubh, 'twas

there we met, # And o! That hour is precious yet, # Love's teafu' smile

frae thee. # That was sung by BBC Symphony

Chorus. Their chorus master is Our next work has introduced

hundreds of thousands of children to classical music. In the Young

Person's Guide to the Orchestra, the composer, Benjamin Britten,

takes us on a tour of the orchestra. He based the work on a simple

hornpipe by Henry Purcell. It was composed after Britten had been

asked to write a score for an educational film.

It was conducted by Sir Malcolm First of all, let's hear them

That was the original version. We are going to hear the work with a

brand-new commentary, written by award-winning poet, Wendy Cope. She

joins me now. What made you take this on? Well, I was asked to. I

got an e-mail via somebody at my publishers asking if I was

interested in doing it. My heart leapt. I was very pleased to be

asked. I get offered various commissions. I don't always say

"yes". Sometimes I think this is not for me. Actually, when I got

this one, I thought I am the right person to do this. I'm interested

in classical music and I like Britten. I was a teacher for a long

time. When I was working in primary schools, I did a lot of music

teaching. Helping children to be interested in music and enjoy music

is something very important to me. This seemed a very good commission

for me. How have you changed the commentary? What have you done to

it? Well, for one thing, it is in verse now, it rhymes. In some ways,

what I have tried to do is include the information that was in the

original commentary about what is going to happen. It seemed to me

that that is what it had to do. There is an introduction and there

is one at the end. There are certain constraints - one was time.

It couldn't be too long. This programme is long enough already.

It couldn't be too long. I have managed to name all the instruments

in the different sections except when it got to the percussion.

There are so many percussion instruments. It couldn't be longer.

I just had to have a couple of lines saying I'm sorry I haven't

got room for all of these! There is something very special about being

here on a night like this, in this sort of atmosphere, with the noise

and the mayhem. You are going to get your commentary out to so many

new people? I was very excited about it being for the Last Night

of the Proms. My mother used to go in for the ballot. I came a couple

of times as a teenager. The last time I came I was in my 20s. I was

going through a left-wing phase. When the time came to join in, it

is irresistible! So it is an event that I love. I often watch it on

television. We are looking forward to it very much. Jenny Agutter is

going to be doing the narration? She was great in rehearsal. We are

going to be - we are waiting for the conductor to come on to the

stage. He is there! They are getting everything ready for the

Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. It is a marvellous work.

It is. I was at rehearsal this morning, and it is so - especially

the last section - it is a really stirring piece and perfect for this

occasion. Well, I think we can see from the stage that we are close to

being ready for this new version of Britten's Young Person's Guide to

the Orchestra. That is the leader, Andrew Haveron. Wendy, we know you

as a very humorous poet. Are there any jokes in this? I hope it will

get a couple of laughs. We will see. Excellent. We are looking forward

to it very much indeed. The party continues at this Last Night of the

Proms. My thanks to Wendy Cope. I hope you do enjoy this performance.

There is Jenny Agutter to narrate Wendy's new commentary and with her,

Edward Gardner, to perform the Orchestra with the BBC Symphony

Our distant ancestors Our distant ancestors

Experimented And pebbles, shells and sticks

And heard the music of the wind and waves

Eon followed eon Here we are

We've learned a lot about the different ways

To make exciting sounds and nowadays

We've all the riches of the orchestra

Percussion you can bang or brush or tap

Instruments with strings to pluck or bow

And some - the woodwind and the brass - to blow

Each with a clever woman or a chap

Who practised for long hours Year after year

While they were growing up

Their dedication deserves our gratitude and admiration

And I suggest you give them all a cheer

The poems nearly over

Now they'll playa lovely tune by Henry Purcell who

Was English and a great composer too

Long dead Still entertaining us today

First you'll hear it played by all the team

Four groups of instruments together, then

Each group will play the melody again

You'll go out humming Henry Purcell's theme

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Now each instrument in turn Will play a variation

On Purcell's theme to help you learn

Enjoy your education Woodwind are the first to go

The flute and then the piccolo The oboes and the clarinets

Then everyone sits back and letsThe big boys have a chance to show

What they can do Bassoons, they're low

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Now the strings, this part begins With music from the violins

Next violas, then the cellos Followed by those grunty fellows

Double basses, then, in sharpContrast, we hear the singing harp

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Now the brass The horns will start

Then the trumpets stir the heart Next the trombones, long and thin

Watch the slides go out and in.

Tubas join in for a while Ah, tubas!

Don't they make you smile?

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It's percussion time, here come The timpani, the big bass drum

The xylophone will join the throng The castanets, the shining gong

Plus some I haven't room to nameBut you will hear them, all the same

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The orchestra, we've taken it apart And now were going to reassemble it

That's not too hard They all know when to start

And the conductor helps them out a bit

They're going to play a fugue The piccolo

Will pipe a theme and then you'll hear it played

By other instruments Some high, some low

They'll weave their voices into a brocade

And then to add a further complication

The brass play Purcell's theme Tunes dance around

Each other in a final celebration

Of all the riches of the world of sound.

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CHEERING AND

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Benjamin

Benjamin Britten's

Benjamin Britten's Young

Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra - formerly

known as Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Henry Purcell. Performed

by BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Edward Gardner. Jenny

Agutter getting her special present from Steven Carpenter, a keen

Prommer. There is Wendy Cope who wrote that new version of the

narration. Very entertaining it was, Another extremely popular work here

at the Last Night of the Proms. Jenny and Wendy leaving the stage

In a few moments, tonight's conductor will be returning to the

stage to lead everyone in the Hall and around the country in a

singalong of numbers from musicals by Rodgers & Hammerstein. This

season began with the youngest ever soloist to appear on the First

Night of the Proms with 19-year-old pianist Benjamin Grosvenor playing

Liszt and Edward Gardner is the youngest conductor to take charge

of the Last Night since Sir Henry Wood in 1895. At 36, Gardner is one

of THE most in demand conductors of his generation. This is him in

rehearsal at the English National Opera where he has been musical

director for the past five years. He's a Royal Philharmonic Society

and Olivier Awards winner. Last year he was appointed principal

guest conductor at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. His

job now is to host the last blast of what has been a fabulous summer

of concerts in which, as well as Liszt, Brahms and Bartok, we heard

the film music of Morricone, we had the first-ever Comedy Prom, songs

from the Horrible Histories TV series and tunes from some of

We are now waiting for him to come back to the stage with our soprano

soloist, Susan Bullock, to get the party started. Here they are now.

She promises a costume change. It Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

I hope you are enjoying the concert so far. CHEERING Now is the time to

say a big hello to everyone in the Hall.

AUDIENCE: Hello! We've got many people around the country watching

us. Let's say hello to all the people watching on big screens

around the country. AUDIENCE: Hello! And literally

millions listening and watching all around the world.

AUDIENCE: Hello! And of course we have our wonderful

Proms in the Park audiences, starting with Caird Hall in Dundee.

AUDIENCE: Hello. Castle Park in Bangor, Northern Ireland.

AUDIENCE: Hello! And in Wales the Owain Glyndwr Playing Fields in

Caerphilly have been rained off! Of course, even more locally we can

almost hear them - everyone in Hyde Park.

So, let's all shout one "hello, Park" to all of them.

AUDIENCE: Hello, Park. Hello, Hall! We were louder, I think. Now, last

year, we had this wonderful rendition of You'll Never Walk

Alone. Being quite competitive people, we decided we needed to

sing two songs this year. Sue is going to help us all the way

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through. We will start with Climb # And don't be afraid

# And the sweet, silver song of a lark

# Walk on through the wind

# Walk on through the rain

# Though your dreams be tossed and blown

# Walk on, walk on

# With hope in your heart

# And you'll never walk alone

# You'll never walk alone

# When you walk through a storm

# Hold your head up high

# And don't be afraid of the dark

# At the end of the storm is a golden sky

# And the sweet, silver song of a lark

# Walk on through the wind

# Walk on through the rain

# Though your dreams be tossed and blown

# Walk on, walk on

# With hope in your heart

# And you'll never walk alone

# You'll never walk alone. #

# You'll never walk alone. #

APPLAUSE

The

The BBC

The BBC Symphony

The BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus and soprano, Susan

Bullock, with a performance of two Rodgers & Hammerstein classics -

Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music and You'll Never Walk

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Now I hope you are having a very nice time. But to be honest, I

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can't hear anything above the sound Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March

No 1. Rather better known as Land of Hope and Glory. Susan Bullock is

about to come to the stage, resplendent in the dress we have

been promised, to sing Rule Britannia by Thomas Arne. Just take

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# When Britain first # Arose, arose

# And guardian angels sang this strain

# Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves

# Britons never will be slaves

# Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves

# Britons never will be slaves

# Still more majestic shalt thou rise

# More dreadful from each foreign stroke

# More dreadful from each foreign stroke

# As the loud blast The blast that tears the skies

# Serves but to root thy native oak

# Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves

# Britons never will be slaves

# Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves

# Britons never will be slaves

# Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame

# All their attempts to bend thee down

# As the loud blast The blast that tears the skies

# Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves

# Britons never will be slaves

# Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves

# Britons never will be slaves

# The Muses Still with Freedom found

# Shall to thy happy coast repair

# Shall to thy happy Happy coast repair

# Bless'd isle with matchless With matchless beauty crown'd

# And manly hearts to guard the fair

# Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves

# Britons never will be slaves

# Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves

# Britons never will be slaves. #

APPLAUSE

The

The BBC

The BBC Symphony

The BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus and what a great

sport, soprano, Susan Bullock, conducted by Edward Gardner, with

Rule Britannia by Thomas Arne. Thomas Walton is presenting Susan

with her gift. I know she was very much looking forward to finding out

what the Prommers would give her. Now it is time for Edward Gardner

to make his conductor's speech. You want me to talk?! OK. I think I

get the message. You are warming up, which is a very good sign! So I

want to start by saying a very, very big thank you to the thousands

of wonderful artists we have had this year at the Proms.

APPLAUSE And join me in thanking these two

stars of the evening - Susan Bullock and Lang Lang.

APPLAUSE The two wonderful groups of

musicians behind me play such a fundamental and varied part in the

Proms. Will you join me in congratulating the BBC Symphony

And the BBC Symphony Orchestra. But of course none of this would

have happened without the person whose bust stares down at us every

evening in these Proms. Sir Henry Wood had this idea 117 years ago

and it is remarkable it's continued. I think he would be thrilled that

his vision of accessible yet challenging... I'm out. I'm back!

Accessible and challenging programmes are still as varied and

given to as wide an audience as they are today. Let's have three

cheers for Sir Henry Wood. Hip-hip. AUDIENCE: Hooray. Hip-hip.

AUDIENCE: Hooray. It's been another record year for Proms audiences. I

want to say a very special... For the work that they have done... Not

only for your ongoing support... Also for... You have raised. So far

this year, you have managed to raise over �82,000 for musical

charities. Congratulations to you. Oh! CHEERING Two microphones! I

have made it! LAUGHTER One of your registered charities are the

Musicians' Benevolent Fund. I want to thank you on two counts. To the

Musicians' Benevolent Fund. Now let's think for a second about

these audience figures from this year. There have been a 94% average

attendance for all Proms which is extraordinary. APPLAUSE 52 concerts

have been completely sold out. APPLAUSE And I think that is proof

that... CHEERING Three microphones! LAUGHTER I think it is proof if

ever proof were needed that music has this unique ability to inspire

to unite, to console and to stimulate. I want to finish off by

talking about the audience. It's you, the Proms audience, that need

to have the biggest accolade. With your vociferous, passionate,

sometimes unruly support... LAUGHTER You really guarantee that

the Proms remain a cornerstone of our cultural identity in this

country. Thank you all very much. Now tomorrow we are going to be

getting on with our normal business of putting on concert series around

the world and around the country, and in London. This orchestra will

be embarking on a great Barbican series. English National Opera -

anyone who cheers can have free tickets! CHEERING We will be

opening our doors to two new productions. Music-making, live

music is like a dynamo, the more we give, the more pleasure you get out

of it and the more we give on top of that. I wonder if over the next

ten months we can make a pact that will bring your extraordinary

energy to everything else we are doing throughout the year and we

will meet again and celebrate at 2012's Proms season. Thank you very

much, ladies and gentlemen. # And did those feet

# Walk upon # On England's pleasant

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# Shine forth # I will not cease

# Nor shall my sword # In England's

Sir Hubert Parry's classic hymn, Jerusalem and the words by William

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An arrangement of the National Anthem made by Benjamin Britten in

1961. It was performed for the Queen in 1967 when she attended the

opening of the snake maltings and apparently, she declared she had

never before been so affected by the anthem adding, "I have heard it

We are almost at the end of the Proms 2011. The 117th season of

concerts fulfilling Sir Henry Wood's aim of providing music for

the people at a price the people can afford. What a season it's been.

What a night it's been! Edward Gardner, the youngest conductor at

the Last Night since Sir Henry Wood did it for the first time. An

extremely popular man tonight. He's done a great job and, as you can

hear from the applause, everybody has had the best time. APPLAUSE

Flags from all nations, the home nations of course - I have spotted

them from Norway, Germany - even a In an evening full of tradition,

there is just one more. Led by the Promenaders, the singing of Auld

Lang Syne, which I suspect is pretty imminent. I do hope that you

will be able to join in at home if you are watching. Perhaps you are

watching in the Park, over the road in Hyde Park, or up in Scotland, or

in Northern Ireland. They have been We have viewers in Canada,

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. And what I am hearing is

that they have been having quite a I hope you have enjoyed tonight's

concert at home as much as we have here. There were one or two

problems with the sound so I must apologise. That is what happens.

And as you can see, from the performance of Auld Lang Syne, no-

# We'll take a cup # We'll take a cup

So with that traditional farewell, we have come to the end of the Last

Night of the Proms 2011. It has been a wonderful evening. I do hope

you have enjoyed it. If tonight has whetted your appetite, you can

enjoy live music across the BBC all year-round. There is a live

classical concert every weekday evening on Radio 3. The Proms will