:00:36. > :00:40.It's BBC Music's biggest party and the culmination of the world's
:00:41. > :00:47.largest music festival. Welcome to the Last Night of the Proms 2014.
:00:48. > :00:52.After 75 concerts here in the Royal Albert Hall, it is time to celebrate
:00:53. > :01:01.a traditional style, with new works, classic masterpieces and old
:01:02. > :01:06.favourites. Tonight, two classical superstars join the BBC Symphony
:01:07. > :01:12.Orchestra. From the Netherlands comes Janine Jansen and representing
:01:13. > :01:15.Britain, our very own Roderick Williams. The celebrations are
:01:16. > :01:20.spilling out beyond the Albert Hall to Proms in the park events
:01:21. > :01:24.throughout the UK. In Belfast, Swansea, Glasgow and over the road
:01:25. > :01:28.in Hyde Park. We will be visiting them later in the company of stars
:01:29. > :01:33.such as Bryn Terfel and Katherine Jenkins. Press your Red Button to
:01:34. > :01:37.watch highlights at any time tonight, or choose a Park, watch it
:01:38. > :01:40.live through bbc.co.uk/promsinthepark. Here at
:01:41. > :01:47.the Royal Albert Hall, we have got some British classics, from musical
:01:48. > :01:53.knights Sir Malcolm Arnold and Sir William Walton, as well as a cantata
:01:54. > :01:57.by Richard Strauss, then in the second half on BBC One, there will
:01:58. > :02:05.be a chance for all the flag-waving favourites. So, on with the music.
:02:06. > :02:08.The magnificent BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the BBC
:02:09. > :02:13.Singers are all on stage. The orchestra is set for a brand-new
:02:14. > :02:19.fanfare, especially written for tonight by Gavin Higgins, and it is
:02:20. > :02:27.called Velocity. Gavin wanted to write some fast, driven and punchy.
:02:28. > :02:33.And you are hearing applause there for Sakari Oramo, all the way from
:02:34. > :02:36.Finland, the new Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
:02:37. > :08:25.Velocity by Gavin Higgins, our curtain-raiser to our 2014 Last
:08:26. > :08:32.Night of the Proms. The BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo,
:08:33. > :08:35.already enjoying himself. And there is the composer, Gavin Higgins,
:08:36. > :08:38.taking a bow. He dedicated this piece to his family. He said he knew
:08:39. > :08:43.the title as soon as he got the commission. He describes the music
:08:44. > :08:49.as optimistic and celebratory, cheering, whooping, exciting music.
:08:50. > :08:55.Next, more British music, this time from Sir Malcolm Arnold, his
:08:56. > :08:57.Peterloo Overture. It is a special choral arrangement with new lyrics
:08:58. > :18:59.by Sir Tim Rice. Sir Malcolm Arnold's Peterloo
:19:00. > :19:06.Overture, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, with
:19:07. > :19:10.the BBC Singers, the lyrics by Tim Rice, who you can see there. He
:19:11. > :19:20.normally watches this on the telly, so he is very excited to be here.
:19:21. > :19:34.Malcolm Arnold himself was a trumpeter and sometimes played with
:19:35. > :19:37.the Symphony Orchestra. We are going to hear the Popular Song from Sir
:19:38. > :19:39.William Walton's Facade. to hear the Popular Song from Sir
:19:40. > :19:51.just recognise this. MUSIC: Popular Song
:19:52. > :22:15.By Sir William Walton The Popular Song from Facade, by Sir
:22:16. > :22:19.William Walton, the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo
:22:20. > :22:25.and if you were wondering where you had heard that before, it was the
:22:26. > :22:33.theme tune to that BBC quiz in the '60s and '70s, Face the Music. Well,
:22:34. > :22:41.next up we move beyond the shores of Blighty, we move over to France for
:22:42. > :22:44.Ernest Chausson's piece Poeme. Tonight's soloist is the Dutch
:22:45. > :22:49.violinist Janine Jansen, making her Last Night debut this year, but
:22:50. > :22:53.she's no stranger to the Proms, she's performed here eight times,
:22:54. > :22:59.which isn't bad! We caught up with her yesterday in rehearsals. The
:23:00. > :23:04.Last Night of the Proms is very exciting. I have done a First Night.
:23:05. > :23:24.The Last Night must be something very special. When Chausson composed
:23:25. > :23:28.this piece, the first title he had was (in French) but you can imagine
:23:29. > :23:36.with the first title it is a very passionate and very emotional piece
:23:37. > :23:43.about love. One of the most magical places in the piece is the last
:23:44. > :23:50.trill of the violinist, maybe the last 45 seconds of the piece. It is
:23:51. > :23:56.a very high trill, somewhere up THERE. It ends with a grand
:23:57. > :24:04.resolution, the most perfect piece you can imagine.
:24:05. > :24:10.Janine Jansen there, our wonderful soloist tonight. What a superstar
:24:11. > :24:19.she is. Here she comes in a striking gown. She is going to be performing
:24:20. > :24:23.Chausson's Poeme with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by
:24:24. > :24:25.Sakari Oramo. Shaking the hand there of tonight's Guest Leader, Natalie
:24:26. > :24:42.Chee. MUSIC: Poeme
:24:43. > :42:09.By Ernest Chausson A wonderful performance there of
:42:10. > :42:12.Ernest Chausson's Poeme, played here at the Last Night of the Proms by
:42:13. > :42:21.the celebrated Dutch violinist, Janine Jansen. Gorgeous, wasn't it?
:42:22. > :42:27.Taking a bow with her friend, tonight's Chief Conductor, Sakari
:42:28. > :42:30.Oramo. And we would like to apologise for those of you who had
:42:31. > :42:33.any problems with the sound a little earlier.
:42:34. > :42:40.Of course, that is not the last we will be seeing of Janine Jansen, we
:42:41. > :42:41.will be hearing from her in the second half of tonight's Last Night
:42:42. > :42:54.of the Proms. Next, we have a chance to hear the
:42:55. > :43:03.BBC Singers commemorate and celebrate the life of one of our
:43:04. > :43:09.nation's greatest composers, Sir John Tavener, who died last year.
:43:10. > :43:13.The piece we are going to hear was played at the funeral of Diana,
:43:14. > :43:18.Princess of Wales, Song of Athene. It was chosen, not only because it
:43:19. > :43:20.was perfect in tone and mood, it includes the words "Give rest, O
:43:21. > :43:25.Lord, to your handmaid, who has fallen asleep." But also because Sir
:43:26. > :43:28.John Tavener and the Prince of Wales were great friends and the composer
:43:29. > :43:39.dedicated a number of works to the Prince. Well, Sir John Tavener died
:43:40. > :43:43.last year, a remarkable man. He started out as an avant-garde
:43:44. > :43:47.radical in the '60s but he became a devout Orthodox Christian and his
:43:48. > :43:50.music became profoundly sacred, and you can hear that in works like the
:43:51. > :43:57.one we are going to hear next. Song of Athene will be conducted by
:43:58. > :44:14.Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are about to play.
:44:15. > :45:09.# May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest
:45:10. > :46:10.# Remember me, O Lord, when you come into your kingdom
:46:11. > :47:02.# Give rest, O Lord, to your handmaid, who has fallen asleep.
:47:03. > :47:37.# The Choir of Saints have found the well-spring
:47:38. > :47:53.# Of life and door of Paradise
:47:54. > :49:31.# Weeping at the grave creates the song
:49:32. > :50:37.# Come, enjoy rewards and crowns I have prepared for you
:50:38. > :51:43.And the silence at the end of that performance, I think, said it all.
:51:44. > :51:47.Sir John Tavener's Song of Athene, performed at the Last Night of the
:51:48. > :51:54.Proms by the BBC Singers, conducted by Sakari Oramo. Tavener's music
:51:55. > :52:02.does create the most extraordinary atmosphere, doesn't it? The Choir
:52:03. > :52:09.singing words from the Orthodox Funeral Service along with the
:52:10. > :52:19.closing lines of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Tonight's star soloist, the
:52:20. > :52:22.baritone, Roderick Williams, is making his Last Night debut. We
:52:23. > :52:24.caught up with him earlier this week to find out how he is preparing for
:52:25. > :52:43.his big moment later in part two. Singing Rule Britannia at the Last
:52:44. > :52:48.Night of the Proms, you may think the main concern is hitting the high
:52:49. > :52:55.notes or remembering the words, but actually the most important decision
:52:56. > :52:58.is, "What am I going to where?" Back in the olden days, when the world
:52:59. > :53:14.was in black and white, the options were limited. Here's the earliest
:53:15. > :53:19.televised Last Night from 1957, with Constance Shacklock in... Grey! It
:53:20. > :53:26.was a time of highs and lows - and I'm not just talking about the
:53:27. > :53:34.notes! Then, in 1985, Sarah Walker made a splash with her game-changing
:53:35. > :53:38.frock, designed by none other than Dame Edna's dressmaker. The Proms
:53:39. > :53:42.would never be the same again. Gwyneth Jones made use of her shield
:53:43. > :53:48.taping the words to the back of it. I wish I had thought of that! Since
:53:49. > :53:54.then, we have had a couple of sporty numbers from Welsh rugby shirts, to
:53:55. > :54:00.Olympic rowers, and our fair share of British icons, Britannia herself
:54:01. > :54:07.and a cross-dressing Sarah Connolly as Admiral Lord Nelson. For those
:54:08. > :54:11.venturing on the high-seas, whether you choose couture or comedy, you
:54:12. > :54:13.have to make sure you are shipshape. As for me? You will have to wait and
:54:14. > :54:25.see! The tension is killing! Well, next,
:54:26. > :54:29.we are going to be celebrating another great composer in the finale
:54:30. > :54:33.to the first half of the Last Night of the Proms, Richard Strauss, whose
:54:34. > :54:37.150th birthday would have been this year. His operas have featured
:54:38. > :54:43.heavily in this year's Proms, but tonight we will hear his cantata
:54:44. > :54:47.Taillefer. Taillefer was a Norman juggler who travelled to England in
:54:48. > :54:53.1066 with William the Conqueror. At the Battle of Hastings, he recited a
:54:54. > :54:59.poem whilst juggling his sword - no mean feat! And an English soldier
:55:00. > :55:03.ran out and challenged him to fight, Taillefer killed him, he charged the
:55:04. > :55:06.England lines and helped win the battle and the course of history was
:55:07. > :55:10.changed forever! That is what we will be hearing about next in this
:55:11. > :55:15.extraordinary piece by Richard Strauss. Actually, it is fair to say
:55:16. > :55:20.this is the biggest piece that has ever been staged at the Last Night
:55:21. > :55:25.of the Proms. The stage will be packed. Lots of fun and games still
:55:26. > :55:29.to come, of course, after the Strauss piece. Then, we move on into
:55:30. > :55:33.the second half of the Last Night of the Proms, some of the traditional
:55:34. > :55:36.fun and games, the flag-waving and so on and Sakari Oramo, who is
:55:37. > :55:40.clearly thoroughly enjoying his debut as the Chief Conductor of the
:55:41. > :55:47.BBC Symphony Orchestra, his first Last Night of the Proms, he said to
:55:48. > :55:54.me earlier, "I'm looking forward to when somewhere in the second half
:55:55. > :55:58.things get a bit out of hand!" Well, we are all looking forward to that,
:55:59. > :56:04.too. As you can see, the BBC Symphony Orchestra are tuning for
:56:05. > :56:08.this massive piece that we are going to hear, written by Richard Strauss.
:56:09. > :56:22.It is not just the Orchestra, the Corus, -- the Chorus, the Singers,
:56:23. > :56:31.we have a number of people appearing. Elizabeth Watts there,
:56:32. > :56:39.John Daszak, Roderick Williams and they, along with Sakari Oramo, are
:56:40. > :56:59.about to perform Strauss' epic medieval cantata, Taillefer.
:57:00. > :14:52.MUSIC: Taillefer By Richard Strauss
:14:53. > :15:13.Richard Strauss' cantata Taillefer. A slightly amusing story of the
:15:14. > :15:21.juggling Norman knight in some ways. An unlikely subject. Performed by
:15:22. > :15:26.the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the BBC Singers, Elizabeth
:15:27. > :15:31.Watts, John Daszak, Roderick Williams and all conducted by Sakari
:15:32. > :15:34.Oramo. They are being given gifts there, another Last Night of the
:15:35. > :15:40.Proms tradition. The dedicated Prommers presenting the soloists
:15:41. > :15:52.with their gifts tonight. The audience there showing their
:15:53. > :16:00.appreciation of that extraordinary medieval tale.
:16:01. > :16:36.Elizabeth Watts wearing a terrific dress. Strangely he doesn't feature
:16:37. > :16:41.on the Bayeux tapestry. What an epic way to finish the first half of
:16:42. > :16:45.tonight's concert. Part two continues on BBC One at 9.10pm. The
:16:46. > :16:49.fun tonight isn't confined to the Royal Albert Hall. The celebrations
:16:50. > :16:53.continue all over the UK with Proms in the Park events in Swansea,
:16:54. > :16:59.Belfast, Glasgow and in London's Hyde Park. Just a few minutes ago,
:17:00. > :17:04.Bryn Terfel took to the stage at Proms in the Park in Swansea. He
:17:05. > :19:02.really was Home on the Range. # Bind me not to the pasture,
:19:03. > :19:06.chain me not to the plow. # Set me free to find my calling and
:19:07. > :19:48.I?ll return to you somehow. In Belfast the crowd have been some
:19:49. > :20:20.enjoying some jazz in the hands of Dana Masters.
:20:21. > :20:52.# It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing
:20:53. > :21:03.# It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing
:21:04. > :21:07.# Well, it makes no difference if it's cool or hot
:21:08. > :21:10.# Cos you just got to give that rhythm everything you've got
:21:11. > :21:34.# Doo-ah doo-ah doo-ah doo-ah doo-ah! #
:21:35. > :21:51.In Glasgow, there wasn't a dry eye in the park when Katherine Jenkins
:21:52. > :22:24.performed her rendition of Elgar's Nimrod.
:22:25. > :24:02.And in Hyde Park, just across the road from the Royal Albert Hall,
:24:03. > :24:26.Rufus Wainwright wowed the crowds. # Men reading fashion magazines
:24:27. > :24:27.# Oh what a world # It seems we live in
:24:28. > :24:30.# Straight man # Oh what a world
:24:31. > :24:37.# We live in # Why am I always on a plane or a
:24:38. > :24:39.fast train # Oh what a world my parents gave me
:24:40. > :24:44.# Always # Travelling but not in love
:24:45. > :24:49.# Still I think I'm doing fine # Wouldn't it be a lovely headline
:24:50. > :25:21.# Life is # Beautiful on a New York Times
:25:22. > :25:25.# Why am I always on a plane or a fast train
:25:26. > :25:35.# Oh what a world my parents gave me # Always
:25:36. > :25:46.# Travelling but not in love # Still I think I'm doing fine
:25:47. > :25:47.# Wouldn't it be a lovely headline # Life is
:25:48. > :26:14.# Beautiful on a New York Times Some of the great events happening
:26:15. > :26:18.all over the country to celebrate the Last Night of the Proms. Of
:26:19. > :26:23.course, tonight's Prom is the last of a season of many concerts,
:26:24. > :26:25.stretching back to mid-July and the First Night of the Proms. Here are
:26:26. > :27:04.some highlights of BBC Proms 2014. People would come and stand in the
:27:05. > :27:14.queue for hours. That shows you you are doing something really right.
:27:15. > :27:37.# Take me # Won't you take me
:27:38. > :28:42.# Take me... # What passing bells for thee who die
:28:43. > :28:54.as cattle? Only the monstrous anger of the guns... Only the stuttering
:28:55. > :29:14.rifles rapid rattle can patter out...
:29:15. > :29:28.The very best of BBC Music here at the 2014 Proms. And that is all for
:29:29. > :29:32.now here on BBC Two. Join me in a few minutes at 9.10pm on BBC One, as
:29:33. > :29:37.the festivities continue with all the