Last Night of the Proms, Part Two BBC Proms

Tonight we're celebrating the biggest classical music festival

in the world and we're doing it in style.

Welcome to the Last Night of the Proms 2016!

And what a line-up is waiting for us.

We'll be bringing a little Latin American heat

into the Royal Albert Hall, hearing from a hand-picked selection

of young singers and be treated to a devilishly difficult aria

from one of the world's greatest tenors, Peruvian singing

And, of course, we have all the traditional party poppers

to make sure we're all singing along by the end of the night.

Conductor Sakari Oramo and the combined powers of the BBC

Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the BBC Singers are ready

and waiting to bring the house down here at the Royal Albert Hall.

It is extraordinary the amount of people here just having the most

fantastic time. There's a lot of flags and balloons and people

dressed up in ridiculous outfits. It's all pretty standard.

And, as ever, the Last Night of the Proms revels are not

Proms in the Park events have got the party started

6,000 people are in Wales in Parc Eirias in Colwyn Bay.

Glasgow Green is the setting for 6,500 people to enjoy the Last

In Northern Ireland, at the Titanic Slipways, Belfast,

And the party is also under way in Hyde Park just across the road.

I think there are nearly 38,000 people over there.

You can press your red button to watch highlights

We're joined by audiences around the world watching

and listening on TV, cinema and radio.

So, wherever you are, however you're hearing

this magnificent music, thanks for joining us.

First up here in the Hall, after a magnificent summer of sport

in Rio, we are bringing you a piece originally commissioned for another

Javelin by American composer Michael Torke.

It's full of energy, so sit back and imagine our

Paralympians competing in Brazil tonight.

And feel inspired. We are going to hear from that in just a moment. We

are coming to the end of the interval at the Royal Albert Hall.

Any minute now, our master of ceremonies for the evening will be

taking to the stage. Zachary has been the conductor since 2013. It

only took one concert with him for them to want to be the conductor.

He's been a huge head and we will hear him give a speech later on this

evening. The festivities are definitely underway. After two

months of incredible wonderful uplifting serious music-making, this

is when the people let their hair down. These characters you can see

standing at the front, every evening, 1000 people come and stand

and they've paid ?6 a ticket to get in, to listen to the best music in

the world but tonight they are letting off steam. There is a long

tradition of extremely silly costumes, tomfoolery, taunting and

bobbing up and down. Every year, I used to join in as home and I trust

that is what you're going to be doing tonight. I told you how the

greatly loved Zachary Ramon is in charge denied and he may be about to

appear on stage and then begin here this energetic piece by the American

composer Michael Torke, which has been described as the most

optimistic, joyful and thoroughly uplifting music to appear in recent

years, which sounds like a perfect match for the Last Night Of The

Proms. Here he comes. Here is the lovely Zachary. He has already

enjoyed himself a lot this evening and I expect it will continue.

APPLAUSE Michael Torke's Javelin performed

by the BBC Symphony Orchestra with their chief

conductor Sakari Oramo. The orchestra is led

tonight by Stephen Bryant. Michael said when he wrote Javelin

in 1994 he wanted to use the orchestra

as a "virtuosic instrument". Right, a Shakespearean treat

is in store for us now. We've been celebrating Shakespeare's

influence on music all season to mark the 400th anniversary

of his death, and this next piece It's the setting of a speech

from The Merchant of Venice. Serenade To Music

by Vaughan Williams. It was composed for a concert

celebrating the Proms It was written for singers Wood had

worked with throughout his career. Tonight, we've got 16 amazing young

singers who have been handpicked Sakari Oramo is about to come back

onto the stage to conduct the 16 rising stars in Vaughan Williams's

Serenade To Music. MUSIC: Serenade To Music

by Vaughn Williams Serenade to Music

conducted by Sakari Oramo They are rightly looking extremely

proud of themselves. What a wonderful performance. That piece

was premiered here at the Royal Albert Hall in 1938 at the Golden

Jubilee convert for Henry Wood, the man who starred in all of this all

those years ago. Sakari Oramo, very, impressed with

our performance, as you can tell. As we speak, international opera

superstar Juan Diego Florez is dashing to us in the Hall

for something very special indeed. Juan Diego has been with us

all evening and we've already After three arias here earlier,

we packed him off to the crowds But the best from him

is still yet to come. Steel yourselves for an astonishing

vocal feat when he gets back. Earlier this week, we caught up

with Juan Diego to find out how he was

preparing for tonight. The piece is a showcase for the

voice. The aria Ah Mes Amis! Is the most famous Donizetti and the most

difficult one. It's like champagne, I would say. There are nine hi sees

in succession and you have to do it like nothing is happening. It has to

sound easy but, of course, it's not, and I'm lucky I can still sing those

high notes but the aria is not only about that. It's a big scene, big

moment where you interact with the chorus. The chorus has a very

important role in this aria. I have to convince them to give me their

daughter. Of course, in the end, they said yes. How do I place

myself? I'm very much used to singing long concerts. Not so much

running in between things. I'm getting in the mood of the Last

Night Of The Proms. I already have my surprise costume for Rule

Britannia, which is a must. And they don't want to give it away because

it's a surprise, but all I can say is something that has to do with my

country. I was born in Peru. It's a surprise. All very intriguing

indeed. I have to say, we have to stay tuned to see that outfit. I'm

not saying any more. It's something to look forward to later, I assure

you of that. I have called Juan Diego as superstar. He's an absolute

hero in his home nation, Peru, and here he comes on the stage now. His

wedding was broadcast live in Peru. It gives you an idea of what are

enormous character he is back in Peru and here tonight, as well. And

we are going to hear him sing now Donizetti's The Daughter of the

Regiment. MUSIC: La Fille Du Regiment -

Ah! Mes Amis! by Donizetti. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is

called winning over your audience. Paddington Bear. Could it get any

cuter? Juan Diego Florez singing

Ah! Mes Amis! from Donizetti's The Daughter

of the Regiment, conducted by Sakari Oramo with the BBC

Symphony Orchestra. Those famous top Cs have only ever

been attempted once before at the Proms by Juan Diego

himself in 2006. He's almost as good looking as me.

APPLAUSE You know, he was found in Paddington

station. Everyone in Peru knows this. I know

it, I love it. APPLAUSE

MUSIC: Fiesta Caribena arranged by Anne Dudley.

Very good he says. They were. I hope you were singing along at home as

well. A medley there. We knew we'd be giving you a bit of Latin spirit

but I don't think anybody could have expected a love song for Paddington.

There's Anne Dudley. You know the name, she got an Oscar for the

musical and writes the music of Poldark also. But he's the man, oh,

my goodness, what a star. That was Juan Diego Florez

and the BBC Singers and BBC Symphony Orchestra

conducted by Sakari Oramo Prommers Simone Theiss

and Mike Johnson to give Juan Diego Florez and Sakari Oramo

their gifts for performing tonight. A decades-old tradition

here at the Last Night of the Proms. Simone is German and has been

promming since 2004. The stage is being re-set behind me

because we've nearly reached that moment of the night you've all been

waiting for with all our favourite traditional treats,

including Rule Britannia, Fantasia on British Sea Songs and,

of course, Parry's setting of William Blake's poem,

Jerusalem. In fact, Parry's tune is 100

years old this year, and Nikki Fox has been

discovering its surprising, Jerusalem and the Last Night of the

Proms go hand in hand. It's also the anthem of another event held every

year, the AGM of the Women's Institute. And the WI sing Jerusalem

because of their links and being allowed to vote. Parry wrote it for

the patriotic right to vote movement. He became disillusioned

with the group and promptly withdrew Jerusalem for it. The idea was then

seized upon as using it for the voters.

I believe you have some artefacts here from the first time Jerusalem

was sung at the women's event? Yes, women over 30 were given the right

to vote in 1918. We have a programme from the first year in 1918, that

was a special moment. Not all women could vote then, it was a decade

later they had the right to vote. What is this here? This is a full

report here. It says there "no words however noble would have been enough

to express the feelings of those present, music and colour were

needed... ". ". Parry was asked to write a tune that people could join

in. Why is Jerusalem as memorable as it is? A friend of mine used to say

the best lyrics should hug the contours of the melody, so this

little bit that goes, "the clouded hills" and then he does the highest

note, it has the most emphatic conclusion. "And was Jerusalem built

here" with the big climax on "Jerusalem". ". Stirring, emotive,

absolute magic. After women got the same voting

rights as men in 1928, Parry's executors reassigned the copyright

of the song to the WI. And they're still singing it today.

The WI is about women having a voice and that's still relevant today as

it was in the 1920s. I think it reminds us that we need to keep

going, so sing it loud and proud. It's hard to sing on your own, it's

easy to sing in a group. # In England's green and pleasant

land... # Nikki and members of

the Women's Institute in good voice It's not long now till we can

all have a sing along. Now, we hand over to tonight's

conductor Sakari who will be bringing together the vocal talents

of the Proms in Parks audiences for a very special version

of Sir Henry Wood's Fantasia he is coming, I do promise you. He's

on his way. He's going to be bringing together people in Colwyn

Bay, Belfast, Glasgow and, just over the road from the Albert Hall in

Hyde Park. They've been gathered in their hows

today despite slightly inclement weather in that true Brit spirit and

they've been singing along, enjoying the music in kagouls. They'll be no

doubt very much looking forward to their big moment now when we get to

see them join in with us here in the Hall. And here is Sakari.

It's a great, great pleasure and honour to welcome everyone to this

Last Night of the Proms festivities. Welcome to all at the Albert Hall.

Welcome to all of you listening and watching all around the world on

radio, TV and online. APPLAUSE.

Welcome. And a special welcome to the

performers and audiences in the four Proms in the Park events in the UK.

Please join me by saying hello to each of them as I name them. In

North Wales at Colwyn Bay! Hello, Colwyn Bay!

And the Titanic Slipway in Belfast, hello!

And of course across the road from the Royal Albert Hall in Hyde Park,

hello! APPLAUSE.

So, we have now reached everyone's favourite Fantasia on British sea

songs. This year, the performers in Colwyn Bay, Belfast and Glasgow will

each contribute the national song to the BBC television broadcast. Those

of you here at the Royal Albert Hall will be able to enjoy the BBC

singers, the BBC symphony chorus and the BBC Symphony Orchestra perform

the songs. But, there is a bonus. You should be able to see the parks

on the big screens. I hope so. Let's go.

MUSIC: Fantasia On British Sea Songs arranged by Chilcott

To do think that was fast enough? So let's try again.

MUSIC: There is No Place Like Home...

A good outfit. And here is Flores to sing Rule Britannia.

Juan Diego Florez singing our 2016 Rule, Britannia!

# Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves!

# Britons never, never, never, shall be slaves... #

Juan Diego Florez singing our 2016 Rule, Britannia!

with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the BBC Singers.

He sang it higher than usual. He says he thinks it's more exciting

and he's glad to be doing it. Nobody is going to disagree with him, as

he's carrying a ceremonial axe! What a star he's been tonight

though. Great earrings too, I rather like those!

I think it's time for the conductor's speech.

The Proms is the biggest festival in the world. It is the ultimate

showcase for superb soloists, orchestras, choirs, conductors and

composers from all over the world. Let's salute all artists who've

appeared in this 2016 season. Hurray. Thank you.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. Thank you.

A special thanks to our performers here at the Royal Albert Hall this

evening, our soloists. Juan Diego Flores!

APPLAUSE. The 16 singers!

APPLAUSE. And Duncan Rock.

APPLAUSE. The wonderful young musicians of the

Proms Youth Ensemble. APPLAUSE.

Our composers tonight. APPLAUSE.

The BBC Symphony Corus. APPLAUSE.

-- Chorus. The BBC Symphony Orchestra. Love

you. APPLAUSE.

And you... APPLAUSE.

And a particular big thank you to the Promers down here and up in the

gallery. APPLAUSE.

Not only do you come to all the concerts, but you also raise the

money to support musical charities. This year, you have raised an

amazing sum of... LAUGHTER. ?112,000!

APPLAUSE. Music is a Cosmos. Music is a

universal and true representation of the human spirit. Hear, hear...

Music unites us with the past and with different cultures and it also

carries our world, our times and our creative ideas forward to future

generations. Listening to music in a concentrated way gives us the chance

to lose ourselves and to find resolution, peace and unity and

harmonies. Whether it be your first time to experience live music, or

perhaps you have spent all your life listening, there is something deeply

magical about being part of a large group of people from different walks

of life listening in silence and with concentration to a great

masterpiece of music. Music enables us to be in dialogue with each other

and our innermost severals. A dialogue which is more necessary in

these days than ever before. APPLAUSE.

This year, we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the death of William

Shakespeare. He wrote in his play, the merchant of Venice, "If they but

here per chance a trumpet sound,... Or any area of music touch their

ears, you shall perceive them, make a mutual stand. This savage eyes

turned to a modest gains. By the sweet power of music." APPLAUSE

Sir Henry... We will come to that later, he was a

tireless advocate of new music, both British and international. The Proms

continues to be true to his example, by hosting, in addition to British

performers and composers, artists from all around the world, often

performing the music of their own countries, music both old and new.

Tonight we celebrate our shared global cultural heritage with music

from the USA, Russia, France, Italy and South America, as well as the

UK. And so, let us raise our voices of thanks to Sir Henry Wood, whose

vision of access and inclusion for everyone continues to thrill and

inspire us today. Let's have three cheers for Sir Henry.

AUDIENCE CHEERS APPLAUSE

Can you see? His double is behind his bust.

LAUGHTER We will meet here again under the

bust of Sir Henry Wood for the 123rd Proms season, starting on the 14th

of July 2017 but, for now, let these 2016 Last Night Of The Proms

celebrations continue! MUSIC: Pomp And Circumstance March

No 1 In D Major by Elgar You sing very well.

You sang a very beautiful but I'm sure we can get even more town, so

let's try it again, please. -- MUSIC: Pomp And Circumstance March

No 1 In D Major by Elgar Next on the programme, we have a

very special song that is 100 years old this year. Jerusalem.

William Blake's words, exquisitely set by Hubert Parry.

Jerusalem performed in its centenary year by the BBC Symphony Orchestra,

led by Stephen Bryant, conducted by Sakari Oramo.

Now it's time for the national anthem.

# On Thee our hopes we fix God save us all

The 2016 prom season comes to an end with a great content feeling here in

the Royal Albert Hall. The BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by

Sakari. It's been a wonderful Last Night at

the Proms. I'm sure you will agree. There was wonderful new music too.

Vaughan Williams too. Oh, so many, many wonderful moments. Sakari

lapping it all up. Rarely do you see a conductor enjoy himself more.

It has been a fantastic summer and, of course we'll be back next year

for the 123rd season of the BBC Proms which starts on 14th July

2017. It's already in my diary so please put it in yours. From me

though, in the meantime, Katie Derham, and everyone else here at

the Royal Albert Hall, thank you for joining us. Good night.

MUSIC: Powerful by Major Lazer