A night at the PROMS

February 2020, Emanuel played host to its very own version of the ‘Proms’, resulting in an unforgettably spectacular evening, writes Mr

Back in the late 19th century, the Proms were held at the Queen's Hall, a beautiful art nouveau rotunda on Upper Regent's Street. It was subsequently flattened during the Blitz. All the concerts were conducted by Sir Henry Wood, whose bust now presides over the series at the Royal Albert Hall. The BBC stepped in to save the Proms when they nearly went bust in 1927, and they have never looked back. The mission was simple and remains the same: to provide top-quality music for everybody, in egalitarian surroundings, at affordable prices.

This wonderful institution swept into Hampden Hall on Friday 7 February 2020, the day after the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Accession to the Throne. And it was the most incredible of evenings: the Emanuel School Choir, the Emanuel Parents’ Choir, alumni of the school, the choir from Sacred Heart Roman Catholic School, four stellar soloists (Philippa Boyle, Kate Symonds-Joy, Greg Tassell and James Oldfield) and a 40-piece professional orchestra combined to produce the most magisterial and resplendent sound.

The evening opened with Ralph Vaughan-Williams’ rousing arrangement of the ‘Old 100th’ Psalm, first performed at the

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coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. This was followed by the major work in the evening’s concert, Elgar’s Coronation Ode, written in 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII. The King suggested to Elgar that words could be provided to the Trio section of the first Pomp and Circumstance march, which he liked. The work was an immense success, bringing Elgar a status unprecedented for a British composer at that time and leading to countless honours and, in 1904, a knighthood. Our choirs were on scintillating form for this piece: throughout the varied and demanding movements, tone quality was ripe and resonant, diction was clear, rhythms pungent, and attacks and cut-offs precise.

There was very much a celebratory atmosphere in the second half. Everyone joined in with Holst’s ‘I vow to thee, my country’, Parry’s ‘Jerusalem’, ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, and, somewhat amusingly, in the festivities of Henry Wood’s ‘Fantasia on British Sea Songs’, where humming, whistling, singing and party hooters all played a part. The evening ended with Hubert Parry’s setting of Milton’s ode, ‘At a Solemn Musick’. Congratulations to all involved in this spectacular concert.