All language subtitles for BBC Proms 2024 - Last Night of the Proms Part 1

Give me two superstar soloists, one
of the best orchestras in the

country, countless audience
favourites and the most iconic

concert venue in the world. What
have you got?

It's The Last Night
of the Proms 2024.

Come on in!

Good evening and a very warm welcome
to the Last Night Of The Proms 2024.

We are coming to you
live from the Royal

Albert Hall, where the air
is electric with the anticipation

of 6000 excited Prommers.

Everyone here has been
waiting weeks for this -

classical music's
biggest annual party.

Down below, the arena is awash
with a sea of Prommers armed

with all their traditional
Last Night garb - flags,

banners, hats, the lot.

And if you look up to
the gallery, we are hanging

from the gods - hello!

- all waiting impatiently
for the action to begin.

And what a show we've
got for you tonight.

Conductor Sakari Oramo,
the BBC Symphony Orchestra,

Chorus and Singers are joined
by two fantastic soloists.

Legendary British pianist
Sir Stephen Hough and the sublime

American soprano Angel Blue,
who's making her

Proms debut tonight,

because why not start
with the big one?!

There'll be hit tunes from Puccini,
Saint-Saens, and Faure,

a clutch of world premieres,
Mancini's Pink Panther -

and of

course, all of the traditional
favourites that make the Last Night

a show like no other.

I'll be bringing you all the action
here on BBC Two until 9pm,

when we move over to BBC One.

I'll have some fantastic guests
joining me throughout

the evening including -
if we're lucky - our two superstar

soloists in the interval.

First, though, the fabulous British
tenor Nicky Spence and organist

extraordinaire Anna Lapwood.

This is a joy to see you both here.
Thank you for being with me.

Anna, you've been a fixture
at the Proms this year -

Doctor Who, Florence +
The Machine on Wednesday -

but I believe your first
time at the Last Night.

It is, I have watched it so many
times at home and I have thought,

that looks such a fun, but to be
here to see the balloons and

perhaps, it will be quite a party
and I can't wait to see Richard

Pearce let loose on the organ. A few
little tips, some back-seat

driving?! A round of applause as
soon as I say your name, Nicky!

Nicky, we first met 20 years ago
when you were wearing

an electric blue kilt.

And a big smile. That is my uniform.
I feel positively under dress but I

am glittering on side like a kid in
the sweet shop, and you know I am

partial to the odd bon-bon. We had
such a great line-up.

We'll be chit-chatting more
throughout the show.

But first, some tunes!

Look out for our QR code on screen
for access to the programme notes.

Sakari Oramo, the chief
conductor of the BBC

Symphony Orchestra,
takes to the stage.

He's kicking off our Last Night
with British composer

William Walton's overture
to Portsmouth Point.

Applause

MUSIC: Portsmouth Point
by William Walton

APPLAUSE

Sakari Oramo opens the Last Night
Of The Proms 2024 with Walton's

overture to Portsmouth Point.

Writing in 1925, the 23-year-old

Walton said he wanted this piece
to evoke the raucous scenes

of an 18th-century dock.

Nicky, could you imagine burly
sailors swaggering around?

Oh, I could, my lover! It felt like
it was almost dramatic foreshadowing

for the sea shanty is we will hear
later and it poses the question,

what do we do with the drunken
sailor?! I have no experience in

that area! We will come up with an
answer in the interval! Something is

going on on the stage. I think he
will find it is one of the many

traditions that makes the Last Night
so special. There we are, two

Prommers polishing the bust of Sir
Henry Wood, the founder of the

Proms. Just for this concert he gets
that lovely wreath.

Anna, it's just one
big fanfare, isn't it?

What a perfect choice
to kick off the show.

That glorious Walton. I love how it
is so hectic. We are just watching

all of these people living their
lives and trying to take in as much

as possible. Absolutely.

So, Angel Blue has had
a long road to the Proms.

She was due to make her debut
back in 2022, but the

concert was sadly cancelled due to
the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

And so tonight she is not just
making her Last Night debut, she's

gracing the Proms stage
for the very first time.

Angel is a California girl born
and raised, so I thought

I'd give her a proper British
welcome with an afternoon tea.

So, Angel, how are you feeling
about the big performance?

Oh, I'm thrilled.

I'm excited for me.

It's a full circle moment.

I really feel like my
career in opera started

in the United Kingdom.

I was offered so many
opportunities here,

not just with the BBC,
but also with the English National

Opera, the Royal Opera House,
the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland,

Cardiff Singer of
the World in Wales.

So I have such a special connection
to the United Kingdom,

so i'm very grateful.

So where do you think your love
of opera came from?

Definitely think it
came from my dad.

He was always listening
to old recordings.

I just grew up hearing my dad sing
along to these operatic voices,

and when he sang, this grin
would just come on his

face from ear to ear.

I believe that's really why I sing,
because joy is something

that is continuous.

Joy happens...

When things aren't so great,
even, one can be joyful.

I suppose that's why I'm in opera.

Why it started for me,
really, is I felt joy.

So you've chosen to sing Puccini's,
O meo bambino Caro, why

that particular song?

I love the simplicity of the song,
and it's so famous,

it's so well known.

But I also like the fact that
usually, and I want to see if it

happens at the Proms,

I hope it does,

you can hear people singing along.

And then an iconic aria

from Tosca, visitarte.

Over the years, I've
grown to sort of look

at visi darte as my anthem,
in a way, and that's

because tulska, the character,
she says, I lived for art.

I lived for love.

And she's talking about how she's
offered up her voice to God,

how she takes her talent and uses it
for a greater good.

How do you think you're
going to feel when you actually walk

onto that stage in the Albert Hall?

All of my dreams have come true.

All of them.

I never imagined that
I would be singing at

the Last Night of the Proms.

I've had so many goals in opera,
so many dreams, and I realised,

and I think this is the one that
will, I believe, top everything that

I could ever imagine
for myself as an opera singer,

so when I walk on stage,
I'll just be so grateful

that the United Kingdom still has
given me so many opportunities.

And now this one.

What a gorgeous woman.

A woman who wears her
emotions very much

on her sleeve, perfect
for

Puccini.

And here she comes now.

Angel Blue.

She's chosen to kick off her set
tonight with the much loved

aria O Mio Babbino Caro
from the 1918 Opera Gianni Schicchi.

The first of three Puccini numbers
coming our way this evening.

What a moment for Angel Blue.

MUSIC: O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini

APPLAUSE

Just listen to the response here in
the hall to those beautiful tones

from Angel Blue. One of the most
famous arias from Puccini, and a

stunning debut. She knocked it out
of the park. She really did. How

could anyone resist that beautiful
voice? More Puccini coming up now.

The Humming Chorus from his 1904
Opera Madame Butterfly.

MUSIC: Humming Chorus
from Madame Butterfly by Puccini

APPLAUSE

Gentle simplicity.

The BBC Symphony Corus transporting
us to Japan.

Angel Blue is back for a second
time, and our final dose of

Puccini tonight.

This is Vissi d'Arte, I lived for
art.

MUSIC: Vissi d'Arte
from Tosca by Puccini

APPLAUSE

The glorious voice of Angel Blue and
Vissi d'Arte from Tosca by Puccini.

That voice very well suited to it.
And she is such a generous person

and such a generous colleague. Part
of her instinct comes out in the

voice, and we can feel the embrace.
And a stunning top note as well. You

could see the emotion. Angel will be
back later in the second half of the

concert to delight us all over
again.

But now, we're fast
forwarding away from the

opulent world of Italian grand Opera
to a brand-new world premiere.

It's a tradition here at the Proms

that every year we commission a new
piece for the Last Night, and this

season is no different.

For 2024, the honour has
gone to the American

composer Carlos Simon.

His Hellfighters'
Blues is an orchestral

piece inspired by the story
of the Harlem Hellfighters, a

predominately African-American
infantry Regiment who fought during

World War I and crucially came
equipped with a first rate band.

For many Europeans
hearing the band in

the wake of the war
it was their first time experiencing

the jazz sound of America,
so real cultural

pioneers as well as brave soldiers.

We caught up with Carlos
earlier to find out more.

I knew about the band, Hellfighters,
part of the infantry in World War I.

Many black Americans weren't
allowed to see combat,

so through their service
they played music.

And it kind of helped boost morale.

So my piece is a collection of WC
Handy's Memphis Blues,

which the Harlem Hellfighters
recorded.

And the recording was
so popular, you know?

People were buying
it like hot cakes.

So when you listen to this music
you hear the heartbeat

of Harlem, you hear,
you know, the streets of Harlem.

You hear all the excitement
that comes with Harlem

at that time, in the 1920s.

I used different techniques
that they use on the recording.

You know, you hear the trombones
glissing, you hear rips in the jazz,

shakes in the trumpets
and the brass.

It sounded like they were
having a lot of fun.

I think it's so important
that we highlight these stories that

don't typically get told,
particularly in classical music.

By doing so, we learn about and have
sympathy and empathy for those

who may be marginalised.

So I think music has that ability
to connect with people,

and just to break down the barriers.

Well, a story of
valour but also hope transformed

into music by Carlos Simon.

Sakari Oramo returns
to the stage to conduct the

world premiere of Hellfighters'
Blues.

Fee should be standing by, coming on
any minute now. It is interesting to

hear this soundscape if you like,
that little moment in history

described so elegantly by the
composer, and our world premiere

here about to begin at Last Night Of
The Proms.

MUSIC: Hellfighters
Blues by Carlos Simon

APPLAUSE

Carlos Simon's Hellfighters' Blues,
the world premiere.

A moving story of an unsung military
regiment brought into searing

technicolour by Carlos' vivid music.

A time where history was pretty
serious music can be the vehicle for

joy. You saw the brass players,
right?

Now from a brand-new commission
to one of classical music's most

recognisable and evocative tunes.

We will hear Faure's Pavane.

APPLAUSE

Faure's sumptuous Pavane, there.

A special mention to the flautist,
Daniel, too.

Nicky, it's such a simple piece,
but has enjoyed enduring

popularity ever since
its 1888 premiere.

It is formidable! I get very French
when I hear this music. And Faure is

enjoying his centenary, just like
the jewel in our crown, the BBC

Singers.

Now, just a few years
after Faure wrote that beauty,

over in the States, the 23-year-old
Charles Ives was finishing

up his studies at Yale University -
there he is at graduation.

What a smart young man!

Before he became a giant
of musical modernism,

the youthful Ives was in fact
a keen footballer.

So much so, that on the 20th
of November 1897 he decided to go

to the annual football derby
between Yale and Princeton where,

to his glee, his side -
Yale - emerged victorious

to the tune of 6-0.

So pleased was he, that the young
Ives decided to capture

the victory in music.

Nicky, this is a bit
of a wild ride, isn't it?

Take us through the story
we're about to hear.

It really is. We are having a friend
field trip to a football pitch. -- a

frenzied field trip. There is
everything you can imagine, Chris

and Jones, dissidents, there are a
lot of parallels between sport and

music -- crescendos, dissidents. You
can perhaps hear a couple of errant

voices cheering on the side.

Anna, as Nicky said,
when you hear this piece,

it's an absolute onslaught.

It is almost a soundscape. A bit of
a preview of the modern entity was

to become? The story is such a great
help, so having the little

programmatic element is a catalyst
for our imagination and brings us

closer to the music I make something
quite contemporary feel so much more

accessible.

Here is Sakari Oramo. He is not
wearing a football shirt, perhaps

for the best!

The stage is transformed
into a football pitch.

Here is Charles Ives'
Yale-Princeton Football Game.

APPLAUSE

Absolute mayhem on stage in Charles
Ives' Yale-Princeton Football Game.

And kazoos! Were you right in the
field of action?! I was waiting for

an orange segment that did not
arrive. Bring on the sponge!

arrive. Bring on the sponge! It is
time for the BBC Singers to take the

reins.

They have chosen a beautiful setting
of a poem by Christina Rosetti.

This is Summer is Gone by British
composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

# Summer is gone with all its roses

# Its sun and perfumes
and sweet flowers

# Its warm air and
refreshing showers

# And even Autumn closes, and Autumn
closes, and Autumn closes

# Yea, Autumn's
chilly self is going

# And winter comes
which is yet colder

# Each day the hoar-frost
waxes bolder

# And the last buds cease blowing,
the last buds cease blowing

# Summer is gone!

# Summer is gone with all its roses

# Summer is gone
with all its roses.#

APPLAUSE

Summer is gone with all its roses.

Christina Rossetti's poem.

A spellbinding performance
from the BBC Singers -

always favourites here at the Proms.

Those gentle touches towards the end
in particular, but on an evening

where everything is about large
scale, having that moment where

things are stripped back, and it is
all about singers trusting the

music.

Well, summer may be nearly gone,
but we'll cling to it at least

until the end of the show.

And to get us in a sunnier mood,
the next piece up is Grace Williams'

Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes.

APPLAUSE

They loved that here in the hall.

A fanfare of trumpets brings
Grace Williams' Fantasia

on Welsh Nursery Tunes
to its rousing conclusion.

Apparently Grace Williams wrote that
in a morning! A clever woman.

Born in 1906, Williams was Wales'
premiere 20th century

classical composer.

She's been enjoying a bit
of a renaissance recently.

She deserves that publicity, Anna?
She really shines in these glorious

filmic moments of string led
orchestration. We are just seeing

another Last Night translation, a
gift to given to Sakari by a

Prommers. Tell us about why Grace
Williams is such an important voice?

We are lucky to have that peace, she
was such a perfectionist. She wrote

a diary entry in red and said it was
the day of destruction, she would

look at all of her manuscripts and
throwaway all the one she felt were

not worthy of performance, which was
a huge number. Her violin concerto,

she said the second movement I guess
it's worth performing but I am not

sure about the second -- the first
and the third. Her mentor was

Vaughan Williams and you could hear
that Pastoral lushness in the music?

It was like a nice romp around a
country hedge but the music also had

edge-to-edge, just like Vaughan
Williams did himself, no relation.

Worth pointing out. And the first
British woman to score a film. One

thing I feel we should touch others
her contemporaries when she was

studying were Imogen Holst and
Elizabeth McConkey. These formidable

women who were brilliant, well
respected composers, if she could

see there is no she would be like,
this is really cool, I imagine. And

then she might also think have
things not moved on? -- if she could

see this now that she would be like.
The idea of getting excited by a

female composer. We are making
progress but slowly.

Well, we are nearly
at the end of part one

of the Last Night Of The Proms 2024.

But before we let the Prommers
out to run to the bar,

we have one more treat in store.

What a treat!

Sir Stephen Hough is one of
Britain's most celebrated pianists.

Where Angel is here for her Proms
debut, Stephen has been a mainstay

at the Royal Albert Hall since 1985,
and tonight he's chosen to perform

the sumptuous second movement
of Saint-Saens' fifth piano concerto

- known as the Egyptian.

As well as being a pianist,
Stephen's a published author,

composer and a painter -
a man of many talents.

Our very own Linton Stephens caught
up with him a little earlier to find

out what he's got in store.

So, Stephen, we are actually six
degrees of separation

away from each other.

We are both from the Wirral, we both
attended the Royal Northern College

of Music and we are both
from non-musical households.

Yeah.

So what was it about the piano that
drew you to take it up?

Well, I think it's
the instrument I saw.

As you said, I had no music
in the house, no classical records,

but I had an aunt who had a piano
in her house, and we'd go

and visit her and it was very boring
when the grown-ups were talking,

so I'd go over to her piano and I'd
to pick out melodies of nursery

rhymes that I'd learned.

And I just fell in love
with the sound of this box.

I just thought it was the most
magical thing ever.

So I said to my parents,
"Please can I have piano lessons?"

Well, eventually my mum got out
the Yellow Pages and she looked

under piano teachers and found
the one who lived closest,

a bit like you might find a plumber.

And I started having lessons, and it
really went very quickly from there.

So your first appearance
at the Proms was back in 1985.

Right!

That was the year
I was born as well.

Oh, thank you for
rubbing that in, yes!

So what is it about the Proms that
makes it so special?

Why do you keep coming back?

Well, I'm asked, that's
the first reason.

But, no, seriously...

I mean, I've always felt
at the Proms that it's

a supportive audience.

They want you to do well.

It's not always like that, you know?

I don't know how I'm going to feel.

I might not feel nervous
at all, I might just be

enjoying every moment.

I might feel petrified.

But the Proms is...

Everyone wants to have a good time
and wants to enjoy this music,

and so I think that's contagious.

So, Stephen, tell me
about Saint-Saens' 5th piano

concerto that you're
going to be playing?

The second movement that we're
going to hear is a little

like a picture postcard
of his travels.

He used to go to North Africa
for holidays, and it's the movement

that gives the subtitle The Egyptian
to the 5th piano concerto.

It's an interesting,
unique piece of exoticism

from a time before we could really
see these places on film.

It was almost like a sketch
that he sent back to friends,

you know, "I've just been to this
amazing place and here's a musical

idea of what it was like."

Finally, Stephen, what do you hope
the audience takes away

from this performance?

Oh, goodness.

Well, maybe buy some
CDs, I don't know!

No, I'm kidding.

Well, I think everyone leaves
the last night with a feeling

of goodwill, of friendship.

There's something incredibly
precious about the way music,

it doesn't need words,
and I think words can get us

into all kinds of problems.

It's one of the few things left,
I think, where we can play music

for each other and disagree
about everything and yet somehow

still, for the couple of hours
we are in a concert hall,

we can be friends.

There's a sort of transcendence
there that music brings that, to me,

is something incredibly precious.

The always erudite Sir Stephen
Hough.

He has been a pillar
of the British classical

music world for decades.

Nicky, I know you've
worked with him a lot -

he's just a musician's,
musician isn't he?

Quite recently, I remember you were
in the studio? We had a premiere

last year at the Whitmore hole. He
is terribly well expected? Yes, I

think it is because he is a polymath
and you want how comfortably he

wears all of his crimes but he is
also entirely unassuming while being

ridiculously talented -- how
comfortably he was all of his

crowns. Explains music, communicates
beautifully with the audience but

the technical virtuosity is
peerless, as we were here? He is

peerless and when you look at that
picture of him as a boy, he is an

inspiration. He is from up north, he
worked his tail off and we are

celebrating him at the Proms, it is
a wonderful story. So many problems

he has delighted us with over the
years. -- so many problems.

What shall we look out for?

It is the second movement, it does
not necessarily feel like a second

movement, we are thrown straight
into the action, into some harmony

we might not necessarily expect and
how many that if it was used in film

music we might well our eyes and
say, I see we are doing exoticism!

But there is something so quaint and
picturesque about the fact he was

trying to capture what he was at and
experiencing to take it home for

musical time travel. In those days
you could not take a quick snap of

the pyramids, you were not going to
do a live Instagram from the Nile so

this was him trying to paint a
picture of the mood and the culture?

That's right, and you have the sense
of vocal and some of these passages

when the orchestra is really
stripped away and you hear a solo

piano line and you feel like you are
a snake in a basket being charmed.

That is an image I will keep with me
in the next ten minutes also. We

mentioned Stephen is a composer, he
has written great work for you and

written great choral work? Yes, and
the other thing that is particularly

exciting is he is a great ambassador
for the music of Saint-Saens, he has

recorded all of the piano concertos
and that is something he does so

well, looking for the music that
might not have had its moments in

the sun but he it should. The piano
move has happened and I think we can

hear amongst the balloons popping
and the cheering, I don't know if

that is full Stephen, the BBC
Symphony Orchestra led by Stephen

Bryant is tuning up again. We are
about to be taken down the Nile by

Sir Stephen Hough. Get your boat
shoes on.

shoes on. We are heading towards the
end of the concert. Sir Stephen

Hough is a hugely popular figure
here at the Proms, the music

industry in Britain and the
classical music world. I can't wait,

the rehearsal really sounded
sparkling. Here they are.

APPLAUSE

A swell of applause
greets Sir Stephen Hough.

With Sakari Oramo.

It's Saint-Saens'
Egyptian piano concerto.

APPLAUSE

A shimmering, almost
sinister end there.

The second movement of Saint-Saens'
Egyptian piano concerto

in the masterful hands
of Sir Stephen Hough.

You can hear the love for him in the
crowd. Fascinating sound created

there with the way he played that
piece. I really was transported. How

about you? There was that moment
when the piano almost sounded like a

cello, where he was leaning into the
lower voice and you got the effect

of the upper harmonics from
everything he was doing in his right

hand, and I was looking at the
screen going, how is he doing that?

How is he doing that? You have stops
you can pull on an organ, but he's

doing it with his fingers. And the
ease with which he plays more

complex passages, the composer would
be proud. And it looks like we're

going to get an encore!

MUSIC:
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

AUDIENCE CLAP ALONG.

This
LAUGHTER

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Oh, the perfect encore! What a
contrast. What a clever man he is.

The Sherman Brothers' sparkling
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Plus other songs from Mary Poppins
and other things as well. So clever.

I really hope that he travels home
by umbrella! That was practically

perfect in every way, as Mary
Poppins herself would say. No

spoonful of sugar is necessary at
all. Again, showing his versatility.

Such a serious musician, and yet
what fun. This is the thing, we are

in this industry, because we love
making music, and we saw him showing

that love to everyone in the room
and at home. And we will hopefully

be talking to him in a while, and I
hope he is feeling as thrilled as he

should. I hope he is really like a
complete rock star, don't you? Of

course, he is probably as ever. If
you read his book, called Enough, it

is amazing about how his journey to
being a world famous piano player

wasn't an obvious one. Coming from
the Wirral, he says it himself, but

he has arrived here and it is
sublime, it is a vocation and I

can't imagine him doing anything
else. Apart from being the

Renaissance man he is.

And with that, the first half
of our Last Night is over.

The Prommers are heading off
to stock up on interval

snacks.

This has just appeared. Dangerous! I
may restrain myself, that might be

wise for. You are in charge of the
ship!

And we're going to unpick
what was a pretty

sensational start to
the

night.

Anna.

Puccini, Faure, Ives,
Coleridge-Taylor, Walton, Williams.

A lot of music has been packed into
the first half of this concert. How

did it work? One of the
extraordinary things about this

first half is so much of this music
relates to the same 30 year period,

a period when musical styles are
just exploding everywhere. I can't

quite believe that the Ives was
written nearly 30 years before the

Walton. All of the timelines seem
cross, but that is what is makes it

so amazing. And it was a fee

so amazing. And it was a fee febrile
and interesting time and this was a

snapshot of all the musical style is
going on. Did it work for you? It

did, it was a luxurious smorgasbord
of music, and such productivity. And

just performed at the very top class
of musicianship. This is what we do

well here in Britain, and it is so
excited to hear these musicians. And

wonderful to welcome Angel Blue as
well, and what a debut at the Proms.

She is another pal of yours. I think
we are probably going to have an

emotional response, I suspect, but
her emotions which she wears so very

openly on her sleeve, it makes a
great performer. Absolutely, and she

came to London, she saw those
pavements with gold, and London gave

her so many first breaks, and here
she is now being enveloped into our

bosom, so it is great to hear her
singing Puccini as well, the Vissi

d'Arte, living for art and love, and
we were with her every second of

that aria. Such a treat. Those two
arias that she sung, you have sung

some pretty chunky ones in your
time, but is the added pressure

knowing that everybody knows every
single note? Of course. There is

something about Puccini. He was a
master at work in reality, and he

really wrote music which was about
the common day, real feelings, so it

is easy to get carried away, when
there is an in-built bit of

expectation that people know the
songs and they are going to sing

along with you hopefully, and I just
love Puccini. It will really

challenge the most sturdy of tear
ducts. And we yours safe, or where

you... ? I had nothing left!
Watching her eyes and seeing all of

the emotion of standing on stage
coming out through her eyes,

throughout the whole performance,
and so you get sucked into the

emotions of the songs but you also
get sucked into the personal

emotions, and it is just this
reminder that this is an

extraordinary setting, an
extraordinary hall, an extraordinary

festival, and we are so lucky to
have that here in the UK, and we

take it for granted sometimes, I
think, but what an amazing thing.

I'm so glad you have been here with
us for the first half, and I hope

you have enjoyed it. You are going
to head off knowing to relax, you

can take this glass with you, and we
will see you afterwards to tell us

what it was like. Save some
champagne for us! Sane I will see

what I can do.

There's plenty more
music yet to come here

at the Royal Albert Hall this
Last Night of the Proms.

The Pink
Panther, a specially commissioned

poem by the poet laureate,

and other surprises in store.

But first, a quick
chance to reflect.

It's been a truly extraordinary
festival this year.

73 concerts over eight
weeks here at the Hall,

countless individual performances
from thousands of musicians

from all over the world.

Orchestras, jazz bands,
gospel choirs, Sam Smiths,

ondes martinots.

You name it, we've had it.

Let's take a look back at some
of the incredible highlights

from a summer of music-making
here at the Royal Albert Hall.

# Hot stuff, baby, tonight...

# Got to have some loving, glad to
have some love tonight.

I want you to sing this one with me!
# You make me feel mighty real.

# You make me feel mighty real.

Oh, that's good! Doing something
unholy.

# He's sat back while she dropping
it, yeah, she put it down slowly.

Such a moving moment.

What a season it's been.

Mark Elder's final Prom

with the Halle Orchestra at the end
there, an incredibly emotional

evening for all involved.

Countless soloists, of course -
Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Osborne,

Anthony McGill, Sheku,
Isata and Braimah Kanneh-Mason.

And hopefully, in a couple
of minutes, two more star soloists

will appear in our midst.

Stephen and Angel
are fighting their way

through a tide of Prommers
to reach us as we speak.

So while we wait patiently,
Nicky, what's been your

highlight of the season?

It's like choosing between your
favourite children, almost

impossible. I would say Beethoven
night with the Aurora Orchestra,

which many people might remember was
performed off book, from memory.

Unbelievable feat. It was like
hearing the pieces are fresh. Let

your peace as we know and love
brought fresh to our ears. I love it

when they take away the music
stands, it is very special as a

musician on stage also? I am used to
generally singing in the dark and in

a wig but at the Albert Hall you see
the whites of their eyes, they are

complicit with you, they want you to
do really well. It is an exercise in

terror, we are comfortable but those
performers, world class. And they

have only spent 8p per ticket to be
there. Isn't that great, you could

sit in the luxury of red velvet or
you can be in what we lovingly call

the mosh pit. The most classy sack
in the business. We had some

superstars, Stephen and Angel.
Bravo, bravo. Thank you so much for

coming to talk to us. Did you fight
your way through the crowds? I

almost fell over someone's boot. I
think I might have hurt her more

than she hurt me. All is well.
Angel, we were in rhapsodies with

your Puccini, I know how emotional
you were, how was it? Such an honour

and great blessing for me to be on
stage with Stephen, with the BBC

Symphony Orchestra and the whole
experience, I don't really have the

words to describe how it feels. The
biggest feeling is I feel it is an

incredible honour. Being so close to
the audiences special? Very special.

A little daunting, I will not lie,
as opera singers we are in the dark

and we don't get to really see the
responses but these responses are so

encouraging, you can tell people
know the arias and they are quietly

singing along, it is beautiful.
Stephen, we have said how many times

that you have played at the Proms,
but is it really your first Last

Night? We have found some footage,
that could be due and Sir David

Attenborough, I believe you were
applying a vacuum cleaner?! And I do

not do any housework! All you needed
was a moustache, I thought it was

quite Freddie Mercury, you wanted to
break free. That is next year! What

was the story? The vacuum cleaner?
It is a piece by Malcolm Arnold for

three vacuum cleaners, a floor
polisher and a symphony orchestra

and it is a wonderful piece. Rather
like the Walton piece that began the

concert. It was a great honour to be
there with David Attenborough, he

still remembers this but I will
never forget it. Malcolm Arnold,

what a guy, fabulous. You have both
performed separately but in the

second half you are performing
together, what is happening, Angel?

We are performing two spirituals
that Stephen arranged beautifully,

He's Got The Whole World In His
Hands And Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

I have always known that as a
spiritual but I understand that the

UK it is the anthem for a rugby team
so people will be singing along with

that, I understand. Why these
particular two spirituals, why did

they mean so much to you? They are
important, I have been singing that

since I was about five, my sister
and I used to sing He's Got The

Whole World In His Hands together
and we will hold hands in our room.

There is a great video at Khan Eagle
whole code Spirituals In Concert

maybe at 1991, we had it on VHS and
we would reply He's Got The Whole

World In His Hands and we were
playing as the different singers. It

is a special piece for me. What a
lovely story for you to take on, get

involved and arrange? It was such a
joy and an honour to work with

Angel. I did not know the back
story, it is very special. I have

also known these melodies and songs
since I was a kid. Yes, in assembly.

It can be sung with or without
accompaniment, universal musical

beauty which is very touching. And a
very different genre from Puccini,

is that a delight or a challenge?
For me it is a delight, I grew up

singing gospel also, I grew up
singing opera and gospel, so it is

the same for me, they definitely
come from the same place, the

deepest part of my heart, I love the
music so much. We have commented on

the gallery that the first half of
the concert has been full of the

most gorgeous lyricism from the
Saint-Saens, the Puccini,

Saint-Saens, the Puccini, the Pave
by Faure. Could you enjoy that sense

backstage and when you are
performing? I was ferociously

practising and trying to calm myself
down. It is very sad when there are

wonderful things happening before I
play because I never get to hear

them, but I could hear some
wonderful things. And we need to

moment for the Sherman Brothers, the
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

The Hall went nuts. I have not heard
you do that before. Neither have I!

This is it new! It is the 60th
anniversary of Mary Poppins. During

the pandemic I did a dozen
transcriptions for landline of

Disney songs on this one did not end
appearing on it but I always wanted

to learn it once I had done it --
for Lang Lang. When the Proms asked

for something flashy I put pen
together and thought it was the time

to risk it. Do you love it, Angel?
It was wonderful.

It was wonderful. All I needed was a
tambourine, and I wondered whether

you travel by umbrella on the way
home. And surely you are Mary

Poppins in waiting? Thank you. We
will look to the spirituals, it was

such a touching reason that you
chose to sing and prepare these

songs and when we found out about
this inspiration we thought we would

prepare you something. Tonight as we
enjoy the last evening of the Proms,

Angel, our family is extremely proud
of you and you know how much we love

you. Hey, baby, I know it has been a
dream of yours to sing at the Last

Night of the Proms. I am so proud of
you. You are a wonderful wife and an

amazing mother and I look forward to
cheering you on in the audience.

Have a wonderful night. I think we
are all going to go! That was just

beautiful. Your lovely husband Adam
is here tonight? Yes. It is always

wonderful to have family in the
audience. And your sister, Jesse

Norman, right there. She is looking
great. It must be difficult

sometimes that you're well to be
away from family? Incredibly

difficult, the time we spent away
from home as opera singers can be

gruelling, so I am thankful for all
of the apps macro and phone calls

are available to us now, I can't
imagine singing opera even 20 years

ago, I think it would be almost
impossible to stay in touch with

family. It is hard. You two have
important work

to do,.

Well, it's definitely time
that the two of you got back

downstairs, otherwise I'll
have an I rate stage

manager answer to.

Thank you for what you have done
already and enjoy the rest of the

show. I hope I will see you
afterwards. Enjoy the rest.

afterwards. Enjoy the rest. That was
an unbelievably touching moment.

Proof that even on a night
like tonight, with all of its pomp

and ceremony, there's always room
for family, for a personal touch.

Despite all the pomp.

We are a family here at the Proms.

It is not just words, it is true.

In this year, there is one person
who has been very noticeably absent.

In February, the legendary
conductor Sir Andrew Davis

died at the age of 80.

For many of us, Andrew
was and is the BBC Proms.

He was just 24 when he conducted his
first prom back in 1968.

And from then until his last,
two years ago, he conducted 132

concerts including 12 Last Nights.

The extraordinary passion
and commitment he brought

to his craft was matched only
by his sparklingly quick wit

and sense of mystery.

Now several esteemed friends
and colleagues remember him.

Here is Andrew Davies. Here comes
cancer and tonight was my conductor.

The hero of the Proms, Sir Andrew
Davis. He was a marvellous

contractor, a wonderful musician and
had a great influence on me. He

lived and breathed music, he
dedicated his whole life. I think of

him and I think of the Proms,
smiling on the podium, bringing this

extraordinary music to life. He was
a wonderful, warm character who

approached music with a desire to
have fun.

# This is the very model of a modern
music festival... I always think of

him coming in, he would cause joy
from making music. You saw it on his

face all the time. A wonderful sense
of humour, that sense that

everything will be all right. I
think he felt perhaps that you could

achieve things through a light
touch, and I think he was right with

that. Why do you suppose we are all
here tonight? The answer is that

whether we are listeners or
performers, we know, we feel, we

believe deeply that music is not
mere entertainment but rather one of

the most powerful forces for good
that we have. Andrew meant a great

deal to the orchestra. He had a
great way with language, a way of

connecting people to the music. I
think that was his great gift.

Music inspires, consoles, heels and
give hope. It has the power to unite

us in beauty and in spiritual
strength. I think Andrew could

lighten all of our lives when he was
around. He was so welcoming and so

kind and generous with his spirit.
He did so much and were so

productive, he was a perfect
conductor for our country. It seems

so strange still that he isn't
alive. He was a good conductor. And

so for now, we have got to go, and
we hope that you will still join us

so and this is the very model of a
modern music festival!

APPLAUSE
Such a lovely man.

APPLAUSE
Such a lovely man.

Sir Andrew Davis, a legend whose
passing this year has been a great

loss for the BBC Proms,
for the British and the world's

classical music scenes.

He will be sorely missed.

And you performed with him a lot.
Yes, he was not just a wonderful

musician but a fantastic human
being. He was always generous,

always good fun, and you hear that
from every single musician you meet.

Absolutely. Not a bad word to be
heard.

Now, Andrew was a man
who lived and breathed music.

And, hopefully, the concert tonight
and the whole Proms season has

reinvigorated in you a love
for all things classical.

If you want to catch up on or relive
any of the amazing concerts

we've enjoyed this year,
every single one of them can be

found on BBC Sounds,
and 20 are on iPlayer too.

Whether you're a longterm lover
or just testing the waters

of classical music for the first
time, we are here to

give you what you need.

I believe if you look carefully,

we are currently zooming over
at an alarming pace to the Radio 3

box in the opposite corner
of the hall, where you can

see my lovely colleagues
Petroc Trelawny and Georgia Mann

They are deeply busy and chatting
away in their conversation, but if

they knew I was talking about them,
they would wave!

Remember you can join us
every day on Radio three

where the tunes just keep on coming.

And on BBC Television,
we have a fantastic array

of classical music programmes
to warm your cockles

as the autumn nights draw in.

Let's take a quick look
at what's coming up.

Let's take a quick look
at what's coming up.

My Achilles snapped on stage. I was
there thinking, that's it, career

finished. Mozart has some magical
touch. He is above and beyond normal

mortals.

touch. He is above and beyond normal
mortals.

Musicians arriving from all over the
UK, detention is in the air.

Thank you so much for having me this
evening.

CHEERING

Exciting stuff.

Young musician starts tomorrow on
BBC Four, and Mozart Rise Of A

Genius is now. You can probably the
jollity down below. In a couple of

minutes we will be wrapping things
up here on BBC Two and picking up

again on BBC One, to injure all the
classics that make the last night

the last night.

Saucy Arethusas, weeping
Tom Bowlings, Conquering

Heroes, all to come.

And if that means absolutely nothing
to you, you'd better stick around

to find out what on earth
I'm on about.

I'm very pleased to say that
joining me and Nicky up

here in the gallery for the second
half is the fabulous Chris Addison,

who so far tonight has been soaking
in the atmosphere down in the Hall.

Are you giddy? I am. It is a proper
party down there. There are few

things in life that you watch on the
TV, and when you turn up it is

exactly as advertised. It is a
proper party atmosphere. I went to

the cricket last week, and it is
like that, there are people with

flags, people in fancy dress, people
throwing a beach ball around,

wobbling down the steps with a pint
of beer, and the Stuart step in when

it gets out of hand. All it needs is
jelly and ice cream! Which I'm sure

we can have later. That will appear
as if by magic. Chris, you love your

opera, so the Puccini in the first
half, and Angel's voice. What an

extraordinary voice, and there is
something about being in a room this

size, just one woman with her human
voice, no microphone, kept all of

those people hooked. The first time
I ever heard it, I heard it had a

comedy club in Manchester, quite a
rough club, and it was hard to focus

the audience who were just chatting,
and the MC was doing crowd work and

he saw this woman who said, I'm
training to be an opera singer, so

he got her to stand up and sing
something, and she sang the O Mio

Babbino Caro, and everybody went
completely silent, and at the end of

it they just lost their minds. It is
one of those. And that is it for

you? There is nothing like that.
Just the concentration that people

singing can inspire. And for you,
Nicky, Opera is your world now, but

what was the first thing that turned
you on it? I've heard my first opera

when I was quite young, and of
course that story of community, that

is what got me in there, that and
Phantom Of The with Michael

Crawford. Those are two quite
extreme examples!

We're about to move over to BBC One,
where we're beginning the second

half with a very special new piece
to mark the extraordinary

summer of sport that we've
been enjoying this year.

From the Three Lions' tantalising
performance at the Euros to the 189

medals that British Olympians
and Paralympians won over in Paris,

it's been an incredible season.

I'm sure you have been enjoying the
sport as well as the music. Oh, yes!

And the cricket.

Just like music, sport
has an amazing ability

to bring us together,
to inspire collective emotion,

to thrill and delight.

And we thought, what better way
to celebrate that superpower

than with a brand-new piece
featuring a whole bundle of very

recognisable sporting tunes.

Pens at the ready to see
how many you can name.

I'll be testing you two!

And if that weren't enough,
we thought we'd let some newbie

presenters kick off our second half
on BBC One.