Episode 6 BBC Proms

Tonight is a real classical music pick and mix.

We have Brazilian street music, a Norwegian folk melody and this.

It's just another swinging night for Proms Extra.

Think of us as the neat little shortcut to the main street

And inside the Royal Albert Hall, there are no dead ends.

# Oh, I'm going to have a good time...

# Lets get together and get some good times...

Can you believe there's only a fortnight left of the Proms?

In our penultimate show, Proms Extra is joined in our studio

at the Royal College of Music by some special guests.

By the end of August, our first guest will have

conducted three Proms in as little as three weeks.

So far, he's done Jamie Cullum and the Quincy Jones Proms,

Last year, he and the Heritage Orchestra had 6,000 people raving

all evening to the Radio 1 Ibiza Prom.

Right here, right now, it's Jules Buckley.

When Proms Extra was told that our next

guest was bringing a touch of the Latin

American spirit to the Proms, we were delighted,

and immediately put in our orders at the bar.

kind of spirit and vibes to the hall last Wednesday,

and no lime juice was involved.

Please welcome a pianist who can make a masterpiece out

of even the simplest tune - Gabriela Montero.

We can blame a meeting with the jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis

for getting our final guest into jazz as a schoolboy.

With his saxophone, he has gone on to record successful jazz albums,

win awards and perform in prestigious venues

And if that wasn't enough kudos, his talents also stretch

to organising an annual event underneath a flyover in Birmingham.

And to play us out at the end of the show are James Risdon

and Matthew Wadsworth, two members of the ParaOrchestra

who recently had the crowds clamouring for more

when they performed at the Glastonbury Festival.

Jules, two down and want to go, what is next? Kamasi Washington and well

under way with preparations at the moment but still a lot to do. Every

minute counts! And last week, the Prom, Grieg, you were a busy girl,

did you enjoy it? So much, I loved bringing Grieg to this incredible

arena that is the Royal Opera Hall and going into a different world

with the Jazz. ANDREW CASTLE: One debut, I cannot believe it! It was

incredible to walk out into this massive space -- and your Proms

debut. What about this flyover, what has been going on? I have been

running myself ragged. I have just really enjoyed checking out the

Proms and seeing in both these people how their skills traversed

difficult and different musical camps and I have had a lot of fun

watching the Proms after I finished my own festival! We love seeing

that! Lovely to have you here. Thank you very much.

For a change, we're going to start the show gently.

Last Wednesday, BBC Four saw the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra

under Marin Alsop return to the Royal Albert Hall.

The evening was a world tour that took in South America,

Russia and fire and ice from Norway with Grieg's Piano Concerto,

performed by our guest, Gabriela Montero.

Gabriela, tell us about your relationship with this, you have

been playing this since you were small. The first time I performed

this, I was 11 and I learned it a little bit before. It is a piece

that has been with me all of my life and it is a grand and noble

concerto, very undervalued. It has moments of incredible inspiration,

but also, incredible explosions as well. Which you might not expect so

much from a Norwegian but they have a different way of expressing

themselves. But it is all in the music, it is contained and ready to

be tapped into. And there is a beautiful anecdote about a great

Venezuelan pianist. When she played Grieg's Piano Concerto, he was in

the audience and said to her afterwards, madam, I did not know

that my concerto was so beautiful. That is a nice little link. If he

was listening last night, you are channelling the spirit of that

Venezuelan! I hope so. Grieg's Piano Concerto was shown

last Wednesday on BBC Four with the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra,

conducted by Marin Alsop, with our Given how wonderful this work is,

it's hard to believe Grieg only wrote the one piano concerto,

Gabriela. Why did he not keep going? I do not

really know the answer for that. It is better to have one great concerto

than several that are not anti-nailed it with this one. It is

a piece that has a little bit of everything. And it is also a piece

that can be performed in many different ways. And being glutton, I

guess I bring my own Latin rhythmic and emotional and harmonic

understanding of it -- Latin. I find it is a very complete work and also

a very exciting work. It is not at all Conservative, classical. It is a

romantic, open interpretation piece that everybody loves. The crowd

loved it in the hole, no question, what did you think, was this a new

work to you, Soweto? No, I think everybody recognises the first four

bars. It was so engaging, the particular moment with a big swell

of trumpets. And it broke down on the violence. And sections had me on

the edge of my seat. The way that any good music does sometimes. The

unexpected elements I really enjoyed hearing. What did you pick up,

Jules? It was quite a Nostalgia experience and it reminds me of

being at school and the first time I fell in love, there was the Grieg

and I was in love with a young pianist. She was able to rock both

these out. So I always wanted to see this life. It took me back. It was

amazing. And there was maybe a little tear! I need to know more,

who was she? I cannot reveal that. Is she still playing? She is, yes.

We can reveal at the end of the night's show, here she is! You are

too modest, Gabriela, we should not skirt round the fact you were

playing wonderfully. There was something of your spirit of

improvisation you could feel in the interpretation of the Grieg. I just

wondered if you as a jazz musician picked up on that, Soweto? Usually,

even before a note was played. I remarked at such a lack of tension

in your body. Like you were just having fun. You internalised the

music. You could feel the notes coming out before the execution. And

that is some think you have either spent a long time with your

instrument which is clear, or you have been into other forms of music

beside classical. Bits of rhythm that were beyond the music on the

page. That was quite obvious to me as a jazz guy.

Go on to the BBC iPlayer and you can find the full Proms concert that

Now, Gabriela, I want you to watch this next film very carefully

as we stay with Grieg's Piano Concerto.

This week, our own baby grand, David Owen Norris, lets us know

who's calling the tune in his latest Chord of the Week.

The moment the piano's patients wears out in Grieg's Piano Concerto,

the orchestra begins by playing a trick on the piano, they play this

court. And the correct resolution would be for this eve flat to fall

to this day. But that is the wrong key! Is semitone too high! The piano

has a split second to save the show. Luckily, pianos know a single two

about harmony. This might not be a E flat, it could be a de shop, no

difference on the piano keyboard. Eight D Sharpe must rise. Keeping us

in the correct key of a minor. So in effect, the piano must say, I see

your E flat and I raise you a D sharp. If that is a D sharp, it is a

German sixth because the Germans were the first to think of it. So

the piano can use the international language of music to change the

ambiguous French German sixth into a French six which is not ambiguous,

just one note different. See, falling to a B. So this must be a D

sharp. And with that angry flourish, the piano changes the entire

character of the concerto. It has always been the orchestra that has

thought of the tunes so far and they began with. And it was the strings

that thought of the slow movement melody. But now by changing the

German sixth into a French six, the piano takes control and for the

first time in the concerto, the piano calls the tune.

David Owen Norris and his Chord of the Week will be back for our next

show. Still to come on Proms Extra?

A performance by James Risdon and Matthew Wadsworth at the end

of the show and we'll be taking a look at the Quincy Jones Prom,

which Jules Buckley conducted. After their performance in the hall

last Wednesday, you'd think the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra

would have packed up their music cases and headed back

to their hotel for a cup of cocoa The night was still young

and one disco nap later, the orchestra were back on stage,

joined by members of the Sao Paulo Jazz Symphony Orchestra,

together with Marin, they hit the hall with

the rhythmic sounds of Brazil. Those fantastic musicians

from Brazil, performing with maestro Marin Alsop for a late night Latin

turn as part of the Proms. I think it did demonstrate the depth

of Brazilian popular Basic? Absolutely, Brazilian music is such

a rich source of harmonic, interesting, the way that this music

seems to have this error and freshness, it is something I have

loved all of my life and to join them with improvisation to lead into

the girl from eponym, that were so much fun, why be only the classical

pianist? Be everything you can be. There are no limits. I have always

been fascinated by Brazilian music, the different influences and

geographic and cultural roads that lead you to this music. Did that

work for you as a demonstration? I really enjoyed it and you are trying

to convince the music of a continent, considering how many

different regions you have got. All that happens in Salvador. Add all of

these different movements, into a short passage of music but that

works very well and it gave people a flavour and they will want to hear

more. Great to see classical musicians joined by the Jazz

Symphony Orchestra. Is that a nightmare? Different genres

altogether? No, that is totally cool. When you are working with

different musicians from different worlds, it is a case of changing

your mindset depending on what you want to work on. The rhythmic stuff

or the improvisation, knowing when to engage and went a step back and

let them do their thing. You cannot underestimate the power of the

Brazilian popular music history. For example, I am sure that Ipanema, the

second or third most recorded piece ever. And the Soul Bossa Nova

revolution and how that was related to the politics of the time... And

all of incredible artists. All of this skies and a link to the

American jazz, like Miles Davis, it is super cross pollinated and maybe

not enough people know about that. It is this hidden world and it is

easy from where we imagine how brilliantly it has just evolved and

everybody got along but there was also quite tense social

circumstances and there was an exile in Brixton, I believe! During the

military junta. The last country in the world to abolish slavery and

these relationships, these African tensions, they are hugely important

in the evolution of Brazilian music. After your concerto, you asked the

audience for some help with improvisation. They were quite shy!

What did you do? I decided that somebody backstage said, why not in

proviso Bud Cauley. Add off I went and I went into something that was

very like Bach and then right time, I love the contrasts and the

similarities between the styles and composers and that bridge that

connects us through time. I cannot resist, here is a little piece of

Hope and Glory, as he had never heard that before! -- as you have.

The crowd went bananas after that! Can you explain what is going

through your head? I removed myself, I love creative process to happen

without my intellectual involvement, somehow the music filters through me

and it was interesting because neurologically there is an

expression for this, it has to do with the big neuroscience study that

has been done on my brain and how it behaves whenever I improvised

compared to performing a written scorer and what happens is my brain

shuts down the function that I use to control whenever I play a written

piece, that shuts down and it co-opts the different part of my

brain, the part that improvises, which is not used for music. What I

am closing down is my brain behaving differently. It feels like I am

skydiving! In music. And Ireland and I love the journey. Is that how it

feels for you? I wonder is it also the same region of the brain where

language is concerned? They say that with improvising, I have assimilated

musical languages and it is interesting hearing that the

building blocks are quite distinct from B-bop, using Lex and phrases to

get around the series of chord changes. There are sometimes stuff

that has gone to the back of the brain and you cannot help meaning

that in. It is the bane of so many! Trying to escape Lex and doing

something elemental and pure. For me it is much like language and

discussion, I have learned English and I can improvise sentences based

on that knowledge of language. And then bewilder people, you are just

making stuff up as you go along! Absolutely. I wish I could speak

that language! I really do! Head online and at the rhythm of the

night into your life! Proms Extra makes no

apologies for being nosey. We like a little secret or two

and with so many orchestras coming in and out of the hall,

we asked ourselves this? When a classical musician takes

their instrument out of its case, what Proms Extra really wants

to know is, what's in the box? This is my little box of tricks. I

have a photograph of my children. This is my box of tricks. This is

what I have. Reeds, everyone feels different. I have some valve oil to

make sure these valves don't stick. Not because I smoke but I use these

papers to clean my instrument, slotting Matin, nice and thin and

that will absorb most of the water. I have got two bows, my main one and

the spare one whenever this one misbehaves in certain atmospheres. I

also have this little device which is useful to be able to shave the

reed. I have not gone into the dark recesses of my box for many a year,

there could be anything in there! Oil. The keys get very clicky after

lots of use. I have Greece. It is much better down here. Some earplugs

somewhere, I think. When the drum kit gets too loud. And to adjust,

some players. Screwdrivers. Some brochures. That was on tour to

follow. This is my case and that book is great, it keeps me fairly

amazed, whenever you need that. Stress Peg! That is a polishing

cloth, I cannot even remember what that is for! And that is everything

that is a box. That is everything. That is what is in my box! Soweto,

what is in your box? It is quite boring, spare reeds, I can empathise

but a great saxophone player but some scorers, some little scales to

practice and then I would fold it up and put that into my case, not out

of super sedition, then just untidy! -- superstition. I am just untidy.

Julz, do you carry anything? I don't have box. I do have a bag. I have a

little Buddha and for some reason it turned up one day and ever since he

stays there. Is that for good luck? Yes, I definitely have some

superstitions and I always try to wear the same pair of trainers in

concerts and I try to make it look like they are not trainers! These I

my well old ones, actually! Gabriela? Any traditions or good

luck charms? My life is so volatile. There was nothing I can call

routine. I would have to say that I always carry little letters that my

daughters or my husband have written to me, very sentimental, but there

is no schedule routine, nothing consistent. It works! Don't change

that! The Travelcards. That little card that tells airlines you can

bring your instrument on the plane! Not in my case!

Now, Quincy Jones may not be a familiar name to some of you,

but he is the brains behind iconic Michael Jackson albums such

as Thriller and Bad and the film score for The Italian Job

And if you still don't get who Quincy is, then have a listen

to what our past Proms Extra guest, Nitin Sawhney,

Quincy Jones is all of my favourite producers, he has worked with some

of my heroes, from Michael Jackson to George Benson, incredible artist.

I am old school, I have been listening to his music since I was

18. Quincy is such a thunderbolt of music. I was excited to see him

live. He is one of the greatest living musical impresarios, I didn't

know what you call him. He has a unique sound and it comes from his

attention to detail. What a great way to celebrate such a massive name

in music, the Albert Ball! I have grown up with Quincy Jones. I have

danced, sweated and cried. For me there is nobody else, he is the man.

It is only one day! Quincy! One-day? Should have been a week. It is going

to be so big because the whole place would just get up, wondered? If he

makes an appearance, I am sure the roof will just... Will paramedics?

If he does, I will pass out! -- will there be paramedics.

That gives you an idea into the excitement surrounding

the Quincy Jones Prom night last Monday.

Jules, you conducted the event and we'll discuss

the music much more shortly, but how did this come about?

It came about eight months ago. I was discussing with the team, trying

to come up with a cool idea for this season and I had a hit list and

Lindsey was at the top. Together with John Cumming, I put together a

brief of the idea, and we got in touch with his guys and they

responded very positively and from that point it was just a case of

trying to figure out what we were going to do. And with such a giant

of the 20th, 21st century, he is the man, really, there is no equal, what

do you do? Over the process of these eight months I basically kept gazing

with his team back and forth about the set and what we would do and

eventually we whittled that line to 90 minutes or maybe more. You

whittled down the music and he was happy from the start, this idea? He

was on board? Quincy always wanted to have a moment to celebrate his

music at the Albert Hall and this felt like the perfect opportunity

and also for the Proms. Let's take a look! # I want you... # I wish you

could tell me... # Seven macro. -- seven macro.

# All right. Going to feel all right...

I want to hear you play the Hammond organ like that! I would love to!

The possibilities! And this man just seems to enjoy every single physical

contact. Just incredible. Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson, he just

keeps on finding amazing talent. How does he do that? Added as happened

in Iraq after era, in the early 90s, his album introduced Kevin Campbell

to the world at the same time as having Ella Fitzgerald, there are

many people who have an eye for the future as well as contextualising

what they do in the past and who else could traverse Lionel Hampton

up to the 90s. He is still rocking right buyer. Some of the pieces we

performed in the construct with the Cuban pianist, they were produced by

Quincy this very year. And we presented a concert version of that.

Crazy to think that it is two centuries he has been rocking.

What is the thread connecting these things? Routes to Ironside. These

cheeky motifs. Earworms, he is the genius of that. Getting you a little

rift you cannot help singing and you can establish your own personality

which is any great jazz composition, they allow you to be even more of

yourself. I found through the process of putting this programme

together that many people know Q as Michael Jackson's producers so in a

way from my childhood, I thought, he is this amazing pop music producer.

And at a certain point when I was a jazz trumpet player, I got into

arranging and you find the line or Hampton, Frank Sinatra. So you freak

out a second time. And you find his film scores, The Italian Job, The

Pawnbroker, The Pawnbroker, The Color Purple, so you freak out a

third time. And you find out he co-produced the fresh Prince of Bel

air. The TV series. And he did We are the World. Thriller. You are

stored in a nervous frenzy thinking, what am I going to do for 100

minutes of national television? And you realise that he is the world.

That is right. A question from our team. We were watching you conduct,

what is with headphones, what you listen to? Sometimes in the Albert

Hall, it is quite a challenge. The space with more, much louder and

more amplified concerts, the sound needs to be right. With the Sao

Paulo project with Marin, everything was... You have synthesisers and you

have a big band from the Metropole Orkest and you have to balance it,

so sometimes it is better to reduce the monitoring levels on stage by

wearing headphones to get a better sound. And some of the hand gestures

you use, is that your style or a magic code? It goes back to that

good question you brought up about the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra and

jazz Orchestra. It is a case of bringing skill sets from different

worlds and putting them together and deciding when to be very direct and

very clear and when to do nothing, or went to be super expressive with

the strings and less movement. I guess it is like, you have a tool

belt of a skill set as a conductor. Depending on the repertoire you are

doing, you decide which two you will use. For example, Marin with

Gabriela, there is an absolute unity that some dosh so Marin is

translating with Gabriela for the orchestra. Because that is what it

is all about. Quincy Jones was there, we have talked about his

music and the man. Some of the influence he has had on society and

the Civil Rights Movement, he was very politically as well motivated.

Music comes from a culture and a community and it is easy to

extrapolate a style and think they have dropped fully formed from the

universe. I think it is great he is aware of the roughness of his

upbringing in Chicago and what an emblem he can be the other people

from other backgrounds similar to his. Been commissioned to write the

score for something like Routes is huge if you are African-American,

anywhere around the world. I am sure he is aware of the weight of history

but the music is not oppressive, it is epic and inspiring. I think he

has demonstrated how to be a civil rights activist in the best possible

way. That is celebrating those aspects and triumphant things and

excelling at what he does. Do go to the BBCi player to see the Quincy

Jones Prom and practice your swing moves and do a moonwalk to Billie

Jean. I thought you would do the moonwalk! Later! Stay tuned!

As it's the Bank Holiday weekend, l'm feeling generous.

Rather than gifting you a dodgy BBQ or a DIY workbench, l have

A clip from last night's Mozart Requiem.

That was Ivan Fischer conducting the Budapest Festival Orchestra,

And Mozart's Requiem can be easily found online alongside

many of the Proms broadcasts, including Proms Extra.

And remember that all of the Proms are broadcast live

Proms Extra and I will be back next week for our final show.

We have great guests, great performances and a look

Jules Buckley - good luck with Kamasi Washington's Late

Thanks to Gabriela Montero and to Soweto Kinch.

I'll leave you with a performance by two star soloists

who are also members of the British ParaOrchestra,

the world's first ensemble of professional disabled musicians,

who recently had the Glastonbury Festival audience going crazy

when they performed Philip Glass's Heroes Symphony.

Tonight, to play out the show, we have Matthew Wadsworth

on the lute and James Risdon on recorder playing Castello's