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Proms in the dark: meditative music at the Royal Albert Hall | Proms in the dark: meditative music at the Royal Albert Hall |
(about 16 hours later) | |
Organisers of the BBC Proms are considering staging a concert in the dark where people can get away from the world by immersing themselves in meditative, mindful music. | Organisers of the BBC Proms are considering staging a concert in the dark where people can get away from the world by immersing themselves in meditative, mindful music. |
Plans for the first Meditative Prom were revealed in the programme announcement of the summer festival, which is 90% classical but will this year have east-coast hip-hop and the Clangers as alternative options. | Plans for the first Meditative Prom were revealed in the programme announcement of the summer festival, which is 90% classical but will this year have east-coast hip-hop and the Clangers as alternative options. |
The late-night Meditative Prom at the Royal Albert Hall will have short pieces of music “to calm the mind and nourish the soul,” said the schedulers. | The late-night Meditative Prom at the Royal Albert Hall will have short pieces of music “to calm the mind and nourish the soul,” said the schedulers. |
The tuneful tramp: the forgotten musical genius of Charlie Chaplin | The tuneful tramp: the forgotten musical genius of Charlie Chaplin |
“I still don’t know whether we can achieve this, but I have the thought it would be lovely to do the whole concert in the dark,” said David Pickard, the BBC Proms director. | “I still don’t know whether we can achieve this, but I have the thought it would be lovely to do the whole concert in the dark,” said David Pickard, the BBC Proms director. |
“We did think about calling it the Mindfulness Prom, but we thought maybe that was a statement too far. I cannot make any claims at all that you will come out of it feeling a new person and that your life will be changed forever, but there’s an element, I hope, that it will have an effect on wellbeing … I hope that’s not too pretentious or pompous to say.” | “We did think about calling it the Mindfulness Prom, but we thought maybe that was a statement too far. I cannot make any claims at all that you will come out of it feeling a new person and that your life will be changed forever, but there’s an element, I hope, that it will have an effect on wellbeing … I hope that’s not too pretentious or pompous to say.” |
The Prom is a collaboration with the Radio 3 team who produce the popular In Tune Mixtape programmes, with music chosen to fit in with themes or moods. | The Prom is a collaboration with the Radio 3 team who produce the popular In Tune Mixtape programmes, with music chosen to fit in with themes or moods. |
Pickard said the music could be Schubert or Arvo Pärt, but he hoped there would be a way of not telling the audience what they would be listening to in advance. | Pickard said the music could be Schubert or Arvo Pärt, but he hoped there would be a way of not telling the audience what they would be listening to in advance. |
“Our concert programming can get a little formulaic sometimes. This is an opportunity to put it together in a different way, which is by mood rather than composer.” | “Our concert programming can get a little formulaic sometimes. This is an opportunity to put it together in a different way, which is by mood rather than composer.” |
For many years the festival has staged Proms that are a long way from its classical foundations. There was an urban music Prom in 2013 and a Pete Tong-hosted dance Prom in 2015. This year, Prom 64 will be hip-hop. Led by Jules Buckley and the Heritage Orchestra, it will include breakdancing, graffiti art, MCing and DJing. | For many years the festival has staged Proms that are a long way from its classical foundations. There was an urban music Prom in 2013 and a Pete Tong-hosted dance Prom in 2015. This year, Prom 64 will be hip-hop. Led by Jules Buckley and the Heritage Orchestra, it will include breakdancing, graffiti art, MCing and DJing. |
Jonny Greenwood, the Radiohead guitarist and film score composer, will be a highlight of new music, premiering a violin concerto called Horror Vacui, in which a solo violin will be accompanied by 68 strings “to simulate electronic music while being entirely acoustic,” said Pickard. | Jonny Greenwood, the Radiohead guitarist and film score composer, will be a highlight of new music, premiering a violin concerto called Horror Vacui, in which a solo violin will be accompanied by 68 strings “to simulate electronic music while being entirely acoustic,” said Pickard. |
After previous trips out of London to Hull and Lincoln, the furthest the Proms will travel this year will be south of the Thames, to Battersea Arts Centre; and to the Holy Sepulchre church in the City. | After previous trips out of London to Hull and Lincoln, the furthest the Proms will travel this year will be south of the Thames, to Battersea Arts Centre; and to the Holy Sepulchre church in the City. |
The church was where the conductor and composer Henry Wood, the founder of the Proms, learned to play the organ as a teenager, and the planned Prom there will be one of a number of events celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth. | The church was where the conductor and composer Henry Wood, the founder of the Proms, learned to play the organ as a teenager, and the planned Prom there will be one of a number of events celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth. |
Other anniversaries being marked include 50 years since Apollo 11 landed on the moon. There will be a sci-fi film music Prom and a CBeebies Prom offering families “the chance to travel through time and space” and encounter the Clangers. | Other anniversaries being marked include 50 years since Apollo 11 landed on the moon. There will be a sci-fi film music Prom and a CBeebies Prom offering families “the chance to travel through time and space” and encounter the Clangers. |
The 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth will be marked at a Prom where Stephen Hough will play Victoria’s actual piano, the first time it will be played outside Buckingham Palace. | The 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth will be marked at a Prom where Stephen Hough will play Victoria’s actual piano, the first time it will be played outside Buckingham Palace. |
There will also be songs written by Prince Albert. “They are actually lovely, I kid you not,” said Pickard. “They are really beautifully crafted, very much in the flavour of Schubert and Schumann. They are great … and the public will decide for themselves.” | There will also be songs written by Prince Albert. “They are actually lovely, I kid you not,” said Pickard. “They are really beautifully crafted, very much in the flavour of Schubert and Schumann. They are great … and the public will decide for themselves.” |
Proms 2019 | |
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BBC | BBC |
Radio 3 | Radio 3 |
Hip-hop | Hip-hop |
Radiohead | Radiohead |
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