125-410: Charles Dibdin (before 4 March 1745 – 25 July 1814) was an English composer, musician, dramatist, novelist, singer and actor. With over 600 songs to his name, for many of which he wrote both the lyrics and the music and performed them himself, he was in his time the most prolific English singer-songwriter. He is best known as the composer of "Tom Bowling", one of his many sea songs, which often features at
250-495: A Complete History of the British Stage (5 vols, 1795), Observations on a Tour through England and Scotland (2 vols, 1803) and several smaller works, he wrote upwards of 1400 songs and about thirty dramatic pieces. He also wrote the following novels: The Devil (2 vols, 1785); Hannah Hewitt (3 vols, 1792); The Younger Brother (3 vols, 1793) and Henry Hooka (3 vols, 1806). An edition of his songs by G. Hogarth (1843) contains
375-405: A barrister, but he continued to practise until the death of Lord Bath, out of respect for his wishes. In 1760, Colman produced his first play, Polly Honeycomb , which met with great success. In 1761, The Jealous Wife , a comedy founded partly on Tom Jones , made Colman famous. The death of Lord Bath in 1764 placed him in possession of independent means. In 1765, his metrical translation of
500-682: A bass, and marked out the pantomime roles of Richard Leveridge for him. Dibdin held back from this path, but made the most of his introductions: when Rich died in 1761 and Beard succeeded him as manager and part-proprietor, fresh opportunities arose. With Beard's encouragement Dibdin wrote his first work, both words and music of The Shepherd's Artifice , an operetta in two acts, which was produced as Dibdin's benefit at Covent Garden on 21 May 1762 and repeated in 1763. As an actor, Dibdin had constant opportunities to study Garrick 's performances, and befriended his associates, notably his prompter, who could remember Cibber . He enjoyed two seasons touring at
625-796: A cat, And cross like other wives, O! by my soul, my honest Mat, I fear she has nine lives. Dibdin had married early in life, but deserted his first wife and left her destitute. He then formed an illicit connection with Harriett Pitt (stage name Mrs. Davenet), a chorus-singer at Covent Garden Theatre, and had some children by her. In time he deserted Harriet in favour of Ann Wyld, with whom he remained and had several further children during his wife's lifetime, and finally married Wyld in 1798 after his first wife died. She and only one daughter of that union survived him. Dibdin's two sons with Harriet − Charles and Thomas John Dibdin , whose works are often confused with those of their father − were also popular dramatists in their day. Through his son Thomas, Dibdin
750-477: A comic opera, the music of which he sold for £30, was produced first at the Haymarket Theatre in 1774. His dialogues and songs for The Cobbler, or, A Wife of Ten Thousand (based on Sedaine's Blaise le savetier ), were acted as a ballad opera at Drury Lane in 1774, and his famous short opera The Quaker was produced there on 3 May 1775, which Dibdin had sold to Brereton for £70, who sold it on to Garrick for
875-487: A considerable annuity. A riot took place at the third performance of his play The Oxonian in Town on 9 November 1767, which a claque of card-sharpers apparently started. Colman was the acting manager of Covent Garden for seven years, during which he produced several "adapted" plays of Shakespeare . He also directed Mary Bulkley , Ann Catley and others in the première of She Stoops to Conquer there in 1773. In 1768 he
1000-571: A considerably cheaper option for the more popular events. Since most promming tickets cannot be bought until 10:30am on the morning of the concert (although there are full-season tickets and weekend passes available), they provide a way of attending otherwise sold-out concerts. In 2010, the Proms Archive was introduced on the BBC Proms webpage, to allow for a systematic searching of all works that have been performed and all artists who have appeared at
1125-642: A further £400 and the monument was eventually raised in the Veterans' Library at the Royal Hospital, Greenwich , which is now the Peacock Room, part of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance . British politician Michael Heseltine is a distant descendant of Dibdin, having 'Dibdin' as one of his middle names. He is a fan of Dibdin's works, and was responsible for the government's erection of
1250-476: A hundred. Charles Bannister was again prominent in the cast of all three operas. After being connected with Drury Lane both as composer and as actor for several years, a series of disagreements with Garrick, partly over Dibdin's desertion of his second partner Mrs Davenet and his children by her, led to the termination of his engagement. Despite the rift with Garrick, Dibdin's output continued successfully. The dialogue The Imposter, or, All's not gold that glitters ,
1375-478: A knighthood in 1911. In 1914 anti-German feeling led Speyer to surrender his role, and music publishers Chappell & Co. took control of the concerts. Although Newman remained involved in artistic planning, it was Wood's name which became most closely associated with the Proms. As conductor from the first concert (which opened with Wagner's Rienzi overture) in 1895, Sir Henry was largely responsible for building
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#17328456465391500-401: A lad, offers the following picture: 'Dibdin was then a handsome man, of middle size, with an open pleasing countenance, and a very gentlemanlike appearance and address. His costume was a blue coat, white waistcoat, and black silk breeches and stockings; and he wore his hair, in the fashion of the day, fully dressed and profusely powdered. His manner of speaking was easy and colloquial; and his air
1625-549: A memoir of his life. The tune of "Tom Bowling" forms part of Sir Henry Wood 's 1905 Fantasia on British Sea Songs customarily played on the Last Night of the Proms . Verdant Green, eponymous hero of the novel by Cuthbert Bede , learns to row and 'feathers his oars with skill and dexterity' (Part II Chapter VI), borrowing a line from Dibdin's song "The Jolly Young Waterman." The great Victorian baritone Sir Charles Santley made his farewell performance at Covent Garden in 1911 in
1750-683: A music shop in the Strand (opposite the Lyceum ), but the venture was a failure and he was declared bankrupt. He retired from public life in 1805, disposing of his stock (including the copyright of 360 songs) to a firm in Oxford Street for £1,800, with £100 a year for the next three years in consideration of whatever songs he might write. He took up residence in Arlington Road in Camden Town , where he suffered
1875-606: A paralytic stroke in 1813 after which the government granted him a pension of £200. In 1810 a subscription dinner and concert was held for his benefit. This raised £640, of which £560 was invested in long annuities for himself and his family. He died on 25 July 1814 in comparative poverty, and was buried in St Martin's churchyard there. His widow placed a stone over his grave inscribed with a quatrain from "Tom Bowling". Besides his Musical Tour through England (1788), his Professional Life , an autobiography published in 4 volumes in 1803,
2000-445: A peculiar kind, combining the properties of the pianoforte and the chamber organ, and so constructed that the performer could produce the tones of either instrument separately, or of both in combination. To this instrument were attached a set of bells, a side drum, a tambourine, and a gong, which he could bring into play by various mechanical contrivances, so as to give a pleasing variety to his accompaniments.' 'His manner of coming upon
2125-522: A production of the musical drama The Deserter which he had adapted from the French opera of 1769 by Michel-Jean Sedaine and Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny , he introduced the song 'There was a miller's daughter' and modified other songs without Garrick's knowledge or consent, but with great success. During the same year he worked closely with Garrick at Hampton to compose songs and music for Garrick's winter piece, The Christmas Tale . From this ordeal he acquired
2250-475: A reconciliation between the two men: it is claimed that Garrick's very last step upon the stage was during a rehearsal for The Touchstone a night or two before the opening. Covent Garden productions continued with The Chelsea pensioners , and The Mirror, or, Harlequin everywhere (a pantomime) (both 1779), and in 1780 the comic opera The Shepherdess of the Alps , and the three-act opera The Islanders , most of which
2375-461: A salary rising from three to five pounds a week. However, his contract established a precedent by which actors were not paid in case of absence through sickness. The script for The Maid of the Mill was by playwright Isaac Bickerstaffe , who had written the libretto for Love in a Village , the highly popular opera (called the first English comic opera) by Dr. Thomas Arne , produced in 1762. For Dibdin
2500-477: A speculation to build a theatre at St. Pancras. However, while under construction this was blown down during a storm, and the project had to be abandoned. He then came to an arrangement to supply the manager of the Dublin theatre with music at a cost of £600, of which he received only £140; at the same time he began publishing a weekly magazine, called The Devil , which failed after 21 issues. His last opera of this period
2625-552: A statue of Dibdin in Greenwich . On the west face of the tower of Holyrood Church in Southampton is a memorial plaque to Dibdin, where he is described as a "native of Southampton, poet, dramatist and composer, author of Tom Bowling, Poor Jack and other sea songs". In 1889 a Celtic cross memorial was erected, by public subscription, in St Martin's Gardens, Camden Town , after his original tomb collapsed. A verse from "Tom Bowling"
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#17328456465392750-844: A theatre which he built, the Sans Souci Theatre in Leicester Place . Dibdin introduced very many songs which gained wide popularity, including "Poor Jack," "'Twas in the good ship 'Rover'," "Saturday Night at Sea," and "I sailed from the Downs in the 'Nancy.'" His songs, music and recitations here finally established his fame as a lyric poet. He continued this form of entertainment for nearly twenty years, usually between October and April, in which time he produced eighteen entirely original three-act or three-part productions, as well as several one-act pieces on contemporary themes, or in which to re-introduce some of his popular songs. At Christmas-time or during
2875-452: A tour of England to raise money by giving entertainments of songs and recitations, and he sold the musical compositions he had available at very unfavourable rates to the greedy publishers. He set sail for the East Indies in summer 1788, but the vessel was forced to put in at Torbay because of bad weather. Dibdin then changed his mind and returned to London, resolving to put himself before
3000-486: A wider audience for concert hall music by offering low ticket prices and an informal atmosphere, where eating, drinking and smoking were permitted to the promenaders. He stated his aim to Henry Wood in 1894 as follows: I am going to run nightly concerts and train the public by easy stages. Popular at first, gradually raising the standard until I have created a public for classical and modern music. George Cathcart, an otolaryngologist , gave financial backing to Newman for
3125-528: A wider geographical area within the host nations. All of these events were incorporated within BBC One's live coverage of the Last Night of the Proms, with live link-ups to each of the venues. However, some more traditional elements of the Last Night of the Proms (such as "Jerusalem", "Rule Britannia" and "Land of Hope and Glory") were removed on some years depending on local politics. As the popularity of Proms in
3250-496: Is adorned with a laurel chaplet by representatives of the Promenaders, who often wipe an imaginary bead of sweat from his forehead or make some similar gentle, visual joke. As with the rest of the season, the cost of promming tickets (standing tickets) is just £8. Many consider these to be the best tickets due to the atmosphere of standing in the hall for up to three hours; albeit with a twenty-five minute interval. Another tradition
3375-484: Is called a rage ." In 1769 for Garrick (who had placed him under some financial obligation) he also composed for Garrick's Shakespeare Jubilee at Stratford, but found that Garrick had quietly substituted commissions to Arne and to Boyce . Garrick, it seemed, wished to control both Bickerstaffe and Dibdin, in case their work should find other patrons, and busied them both, inducing Dibdin to revise and write new music for Cibber's Damon and Phillida . In addition he provided
3500-576: Is inscribed upon it: Also in Camden, in Joseph Grimaldi Park a grave-style musical memorial for Dibdin is placed next to one for Joseph Grimaldi . Three recent discs of Dibdin's music have been recorded and released by Retrospect Opera. The first, which appeared in 2017, comprises Christmas Gambols and The Musical Tour of Mr Dibdin . The second, released in 2019, includes Dibdin's The Jubilee , Queen Mab and Datchet Mead . The third, "The Wags",
3625-497: Is mad for a husband , Yo, Yea, or, The friendly tars , The old woman of eighty and The razor grinder , all at Sadler's Wells. In 1778 the important burletta Poor Vulcan was produced at Covent Garden, but in Dibdin's absence in France many of the songs were altered by another hand. There also he wrote the libretto of The Gipsies , for which Thomas Arne wrote the music, first performed at
3750-554: Is no longer permitted) to ensure a good place to stand; the resulting camaraderie adds to the atmosphere. Some attend in fancy dress , from dinner jackets to patriotic T-shirts. Many use the occasion for an exuberant display of Britishness . Union Flags are waved by the Prommers, especially during "Rule, Britannia!". Other national flags, balloons, and party poppers are all welcomed – although John Drummond discouraged 'extraneous noise' during his tenure as director. Sir Henry Wood's bust
3875-658: Is short for promenade concert , a term which originally referred to outdoor concerts in London's pleasure gardens , where the audience was free to stroll around while the orchestra was playing. In the context of the BBC Proms, promming refers to the use of the standing areas inside the hall (the Arena and Gallery) for which ticket prices are much lower than for the seating. Proms concert-goers, particularly those who stand, are sometimes referred to as "Prommers" or "Promenaders". Promenade concerts had existed in London's pleasure gardens since
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4000-589: Is sung) and Henry Wood's " Fantasia on British Sea Songs ", followed by Thomas Arne 's " Rule, Britannia! ". The concert concludes with Hubert Parry 's " Jerusalem ", and the British national anthem , since 2010 in an arrangement by Benjamin Britten . The repeat of the Elgar march at the Last Night can be traced to the spontaneous audience demand for a double encore after its premiere at a 1901 Proms concert. The closing sequence of
4125-477: Is that near the end of the concert the conductor makes a speech thanking the musicians and audiences, mentioning the main themes of the season, noting the cumulative donation collected for the Promenaders' musical charities over the season, and announcing the date of the First Night for the following year. This tradition dates from 1941, when Sir Henry Wood gave the first such speech at the close of that season, which
4250-553: The BBC – later based at Broadcasting House next to the hall – took over the running of the concerts. This arose because William Boosey, then managing director of Chappell & Co. (the Prom. proprietors), detested broadcasting and saw the BBC's far-reaching demands and intentions in the control of musical presentation as a danger to the future of public concerts altogether. He decided to disband
4375-707: The Bedford Corn Exchange (home of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 1941) which hosted them until the end of the War. Sir Adrian Boult and Basil Cameron continued as conductors of the Promenade Concerts after the War, on their return to the Royal Albert Hall, until the advent of Malcolm Sargent as Proms chief conductor in 1947. Sargent held this post until 1966; his associate conductor from 1949 to 1959
4500-474: The Haymarket Theatre faded, Garrick acquired it, and acquired Dibdin as composer, whose music for this work was, at Garrick's suggestion, given anonymously. Dibdin made only £40 from it while Bickerstaffe made a fortune. The Padlock was produced at Drury Lane under Garrick's management in 1768, Dibdin taking the part of Mungo (a blackface role) so as to cause "that degree of sensation in the public which
4625-441: The Last Night of the Proms . He also wrote about 30 dramatic pieces, including the operas The Waterman (1774) and The Quaker (1775), and several novels, memoirs and histories. His works were admired by Haydn and Beethoven . The son of a silversmith, Dibdin was privately baptised on 4 March 1745 in Southampton and is often described as the youngest child of eighteen born to a 50-year-old mother. His parents, intending him for
4750-418: The 1780 Christmas pantomime, Harlequin freemason , for which Messink (Garrick's pantomime specialist) contributed the inventions. In 1781 Dibdin adapted John Dryden 's play Amphytrion, or Juno and Alcmena into an opera. He attempted to rewrite it so as to avoid some of the impropriety of the original, and was at first encouraged by Harris, who later changed his mind. Dibdin was left with a difficult task and
4875-473: The 1960s, the number of guest orchestras at the Proms also began to increase, with the first major international conductors ( Leopold Stokowski , Georg Solti , and Carlo Maria Giulini ) performing in 1963, and the first foreign orchestra, the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra , performing in 1966. Since that time, almost every major international orchestra, conductor and soloist has performed at
5000-528: The First Night of the 2023 Proms wasn't announced until April 2023. The following table lists by year the conductors of the Last Night of the Proms. In general, since the tenure of Sargent, the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra has led this concert, but guest conductors have directed the Last Night on several occasions. Additionally, the tradition was for a British conductor, and if not
5125-579: The Haymarket in 1778. On his return from France in 1778 Thomas Harris , the Theatre Manager, appointed him Musical Director at Covent Garden (to write exclusively for him) at the then huge salary of £10 (equivalent to £1,610 in 2023) a week. Attempting to introduce a taste for the French variety theatre, he had adapted six short interludes, with his own music, with a view that one should be introduced between
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5250-504: The Homeric gods discoursed in a low vernacular). His opera Liberty Hall , containing the successful songs "Jock Ratlin", "The Highmettled Racer" and " The Bells of Aberdovey ", was produced at the Drury Lane theatre on 8 February 1784. After three years at the circus, in which Dibdin fell out with his partners and became entangled in litigation; in 1785, he withdrew, and, instead, entered into
5375-432: The Last Night is mostly sold out, although returns may be available. For standing places, a full season pass automatically includes admission to the Last Night; some day Prommers can get limited tickets available on various dates by presenting five ticket-stubs from previous concerts, either in the Arena or Gallery (prior to 2009, the requirement was for six other concerts) but most day Promming tickets are open to everyone on
5500-460: The Last Night) rather than separately. Slatkin, an American and the first non- Commonwealth citizen to lead the Last Night, conducted his first in 2001, just days after the 9/11 attacks . The atmosphere was more restrained and less festive than normal, with a heavily revised programme where the finale of Beethoven's 9th Symphony replaced the "Sea Songs", and Samuel Barber 's " Adagio for Strings "
5625-504: The New Queen's Hall Orchestra effectively continued until 1930 as "Sir Henry J. Wood and his Symphony Orchestra". When the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) was formed in 1930, it became the main orchestra for the concerts. At this time the season consisted of nights dedicated to particular composers; Mondays were Wagner , Fridays were Beethoven , with other major composers being featured on other days. There were no Sunday performances. With
5750-580: The New Queen's Hall Orchestra, which played for the last time at a Symphony concert on 19 March 1927. He found it more expedient to let the Queen's Hall to the broadcasting powers, rather than to continue the Promenade concerts and other big series independently in an unequal competition with what he saw as effectively the Government itself. So the Proms were saved, but under a different kind of authority. The personnel of
5875-599: The Park became a series of established events in their own right, with events in Hyde Park and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, managed by BBC Scotland, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Ireland respectively, in conjunction with the host local authority. Each event has a presenting team, a live orchestra, a video link to the Last Night of the Proms in London, and guest soloists and choirs. Events tend to move to different cities to cover
6000-487: The Park events across the UK on the Last Night of the Proms, and associated educational and children's events. Recently, concerts have been held in additional cities across different nations of the UK, as part of Proms Around the UK. The season is a significant event in British culture and in classical music. Czech conductor Jiří Bělohlávek described the Proms as "the world's largest and most democratic musical festival". Prom
6125-426: The Park grew, many communities across the UK decided to hold their own "Proms in the Park" events that were not affiliated with the BBC. The last official Proms in the Park took place in 2019, and no plans for its return have been announced. The first live relays outside of London were to Swansea and Birmingham in 1999. In 2001, there were also live link-ups to Cornwall and Liverpool. In 2011, Caerphilly's Proms in
6250-552: The Park started to have musicians of their own on stage, including the BBC Concert Orchestra . In the 2000s, Proms in the Park started to be held in other locations across the UK, usually with one of the BBC's orchestras playing. In 2005, Belfast , Glasgow, Swansea and Manchester hosted a Last Night Prom in the Park, broadcast live from each venue. In 2007 Manchester's prom was replaced by one in Middlesbrough . In 2008
6375-720: The Park was cancelled before the concert started due to heavy rainfall George Colman the Elder George Colman (April 1732 – 14 August 1794) was an English dramatist and essayist , usually called " the Elder ", and sometimes " George the First ", to distinguish him from his son, George Colman the Younger . He also owned a theatre. He was born in Florence , where his father was stationed as British Resident Minister (diplomatic envoy) at
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#17328456465396500-584: The Promenade season presented by Keith Douglas in conjunction with the Royal Philharmonic Society (of which he was Secretary). The London Symphony Orchestra had sometimes assisted in the series since (after 1927) the New Queen's Hall Orchestra had ceased to function, and in 1942 Sir Henry Wood also invited the London Philharmonic Orchestra under its new leader Jean Pougnet to participate in this and subsequent seasons. In this he
6625-580: The Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London . Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the BBC has organised and broadcast The Proms. Each season consists of concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, chamber music concerts at Cadogan Hall (or occasionally other venues), additional Proms in
6750-465: The Proms after Glock have been Robert Ponsonby (1973–1985), John Drummond (1986–1995), Nicholas Kenyon (1996–2007), and Roger Wright (2007–2014). Between 1986 and 2014, the post of Director, BBC Proms had mostly been combined with the role of Controller, BBC Radio 3. Edward Blakeman, editor of BBC Radio 3, became interim Proms Director upon Wright's departure in July 2014. In May 2015, the BBC announced
6875-795: The Proms for a number of years, as a freelance employee after his retirement from the BBC, with assistance from such staff as Edward Clark and Kenneth Wright. During the tenure of William Glock as Controller of the Proms, from 1960 to 1973, the Proms repertory expanded both forwards in time, to encompass then contemporary and avant-garde composers such as Boulez , Berio , Carter , Dallapiccola , Peter Maxwell Davies , Gerhard , Henze , Ligeti , Lutosławski , Lutyens , Maw , Messiaen , Nono , Stockhausen , and Tippett , as well as backwards to include music by past composers such as Purcell , Cavalli , Monteverdi , Byrd , Palestrina , Dufay , Dunstaple , and Machaut , as well as less-often performed works of Johann Sebastian Bach and Joseph Haydn . From
7000-568: The Proms have always started on a Friday night in July. The Proms continue today, and still present newly commissioned music alongside pieces more central to the repertoire and early music. Innovations continue, with pre-Prom talks, lunchtime chamber concerts, children's Proms, Proms in the Park either appearing, or being featured more heavily over the past few years. In the UK, all concerts are broadcast on BBC Radio 3 , an increasing number are televised on BBC Four with some also shown on BBC One and BBC Two . The theme tune that used to be played at
7125-548: The Proms since their inception. On 1 September 2011, a Prom given by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was severely affected by interruptions from pro-Palestinian protesters. While the Palestine Solidarity Campaign had urged a boycott, they denied being behind the disruption inside the Royal Albert Hall. For the first time ever, the BBC took a Prom concert off the air. Successive Controllers of
7250-431: The Proms. In 1970, Soft Machine 's appearance led to press attention and comment as the first "pop" band to perform there. The 1968 season began on a Friday night instead of the usual Saturday night. This concert marked a tribute to Sir Malcolm Sargent who had died shortly after delivering a brief speech from the rostrum at the Last Night in 1967. He had been too ill to actually conduct that concert. Every year since then,
7375-605: The Vauxhall in Birmingham, and another at Richmond. Beard exercised a benign and encouraging influence over Dibdin's early career, choosing him, in his first important appearance, for the part of Ralph, in the 1765 premiere of Samuel Arnold 's opera The Maid of the Mill at Covent Garden. He gained so much success over a run of more than fifty nights, that 'Ralph' handkerchiefs were worn in compliment to him. He agreed to article himself, both as actor and musician, to Beard for three years at
7500-402: The acquisition of an entirely new set of wind instruments for the orchestra, and the re-tuning of the Queen's Hall organ. This coincided with the adoption of this lower pitch by other leading orchestras and concert series. Although the concerts gained a popular following and reputation, Newman went bankrupt in 1902, and the banker Edgar Speyer took over the expense of funding them. Wood received
7625-451: The age of fifteen at his brother's invitation, and was first employed tuning harpsichords in a music warehouse in Cheapside . Through Mr. Berenger he was introduced to John Rich (of whom he became a favourite) and John Beard , and, growing addicted to theatre-going, he soon became a singing actor at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden . As his voice was not yet settled, Rich thought he would become
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#17328456465397750-407: The appointment of David Pickard as Director of BBC Proms, in succession to Wright. In November 2023, the BBC announced that Pickard is to stand down as Proms Director after the 2024 season. In February 2024, Sam Jackson became Director of The Proms. Many people's perception of the Proms is based on the Last Night, although this is very different from the other concerts. It usually takes place on
7875-421: The beginning of each programme broadcast on television (until the 2011 season) was an extract from the end of the "Red" movement of Arthur Bliss 's A Colour Symphony , in 2017 Anna Clyne 's Masquerade (a Proms commission in 2013) and since 2019 an original theme by Ian Arber . It is also possible to hear the concerts live from the BBC Proms website. The Last Night is also broadcast in many countries around
8000-412: The clergy, sent Dibdin to Winchester College , but his love of music soon diverted his thoughts from the clerical profession. He possessed 'a remarkable good voice' at a young age and was in demand for concerts even as a boy. Anthems were composed for him by James Kent and his successor Peter Fussell, organists of Winchester Cathedral , where he was a chorister between 1756 and 1759. He went to London at
8125-575: The comic opera The Wedding Ring based on an Italian opera Il filosofo di campagna was brought out, but was almost withdrawn on the first night owing to the rumour that it was written by Bickerstaffe, who had fled to France, utterly ruined by the accusation of an 'abominable (i.e. homosexual) attempt'. Dibdin was obliged to appear on stage and claim authorship of both words and music, while salacious tittle-tattle (and worse) sought to embroil both him and Garrick in Bickerstaffe's offence. In November 1773, in
8250-504: The court of the Grand Duke of Tuscany . Colman's father died within a year of his son's birth and William Pulteney - afterwards Lord Bath- whose wife was Mrs. Colman's sister, undertook to educate the boy. After he received private education in Marylebone , George attended Westminster School . Colman left school in due course for Christ Church, Oxford . There he made the acquaintance of
8375-459: The current serving Chief Conductor, one who had an association with the BBC Symphony Orchestra or one of the other BBC orchestras. Charles Mackerras was the first non-British-born conductor to lead the Last Night, in 1980. Leonard Slatkin was the first American conductor of the Last Night in 2001. Jiří Bělohlávek was the first non-native English speaker to conduct the Last Night, in 2007. Marin Alsop
8500-408: The deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales , Mother Teresa , and Sir Georg Solti in 1997. Leonard Slatkin , chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2004, expressed a desire to tone down the nationalism of the Last Night, and during the seasons from 2002 until 2007 "Rule Britannia" was only heard as part of Henry Wood's '" Fantasia on British Sea Songs " (another piece traditional to
8625-449: The entertainment Bannister's Budget , wrote: "Charles Dibdin, year after year... had been giving delight and, for a time, acquiring great emolument, by means of entertainments under different names, in which he not only pleased but instructed the public; advancing the cause of morals by natural and energetic sentiments, and raising the flame of patriotism and loyalty by songs and speeches, just in conception and illustration, and impressive on
8750-794: The following April, during the whole of which time Dibdin was a prisoner in the King's Bench . This was first given at the Lyceum Theatre in The Strand , and afterwards at Fisher's or Stevens' Auction Room in King Street, in Covent Garden. For several years he also repeated the entertainments in the daytime at the Paul's Head Assembly Rooms in Cateaton Street. His monodramatic entertainments continued after 1795 at
8875-466: The inclusion of Scottish composer Anna Meredith to the programme for her Proms premiere, froms , which involved five different groups of musicians telecasting in from around Britain. 2009 saw the continued absence of Wood's Sea Songs , this time replaced by specially commissioned fanfares, and extracts from Handel 's " Music for the Royal Fireworks ". In 2009, for the first time, the Last Night
9000-431: The interlude The Mischance , and the dialogues The Grenadier (text by Garrick), The Ladle , England against Italy , and None so blind as those who won't see : and furthermore in the same year he wrote songs for The Trip to Portsmouth (words by G. A. Stevens), performed by Charles Bannister at the Haymarket, for which the overture and dances were written by Thomas Arne . Dibdin's most lasting opera, The Waterman ,
9125-476: The landowner advanced the funds and became proprietors, and Dibdin was appointed sole manager for life, to receive a quarter of the profits. Dibdin is credited with coining the term "circus". Meanwhile, a dialogue, The Fortune Hunter , had appeared at Sadler's Wells in 1780, and at the Haymarket. Dibdin had contributed songs to an entertainment called Pasquin's Budget in which characters were represented by puppets, and their songs were performed by singers behind
9250-509: The lowest priced in the season – saw this Prom split in 2004 into two Proms with identical content. In 2008, the Blue Peter Prom was replaced with a Doctor Who Prom which was revived in both the 2010 and 2013 seasons. The 2004 season also featured the Hall's newly rebuilt pipe organ . It took two years to complete the task (2002–2004) and was the work of Noel Mander, Ltd., of London. It
9375-543: The main season ends. CLIC Sargent, the Musicians' Benevolent Fund and further musical charities (chosen each year) also benefit from thousands of pounds in donations from Prommers after most concerts. When asking for donations, Prommers from the Arena regularly announce to the audience the running donations total at concert intervals through the season, or before the concert when there is no interval. After Wood's death, Julian Herbage acted as de facto principal administrator of
9500-617: The memory and the judgement by vivid imagery and pointed expression. His sea-songs form a class by themselves: they are calculated alike to cheer solitude and to animate social assemblages, to raise the laugh and the tear, and to engrave on the heart benevolence, courage, and a trust in Providence." Charles's son Thomas Dibdin, a close associate of John Bannister , wrote that "Charles Bannister, and his exemplary son John, were two of [Dibdin's] most intimate friends." The author of his memoir, who witnessed one of Dibdin's Entertainments Sans Souci when
9625-593: The mid-18th century, and indoor proms became a feature of 19th century musical life in London from 1838, notably under the direction of Louis Antoine Jullien and Sir Arthur Sullivan . The annual series of Proms continuing today had their roots in that movement. They were inaugurated on 10 August 1895 in the Queen's Hall in Langham Place by the impresario Robert Newman , who was fully experienced in running similar concerts at Her Majesty's Theatre . Newman wished to generate
9750-413: The morning of the concert, whether they have booked before or not. In the post-war period, with the growing popularity of the Last Night, the only way to obtain tickets was through a postal ballot held well-in-advance. Prommers with tickets are likely to queue up much earlier than usual (many overnight, and in past years, some slept outside the hall for up to three weeks to guard their place – although this
9875-575: The new Cadogan Hall, just off London's Sloane Square . These allow the Proms to include music which is not suitable for the vast spaces of the Albert Hall. From 1998 to 2007, the Blue Peter Prom, in partnership with long-running BBC television programme Blue Peter , was an annual fixture. Aimed at children and families, the Prom is informal, including audience participation, jokes, and popular classics. High demand for tickets – which are among
10000-493: The next turning-point was in the 1767 premiere and short run of Bickerstaffe's Love in the City , in which he played Watty Cockney, and for which he produced a good deal of the music and airs. He had already confided to Beard that he disliked acting because of the jealousy and spite which his success brought upon him from other actors. Hence he had turned again to composition. But now some of the orchestra complained to Beard that his music
10125-407: The number reduced from five to four, in Hyde Park, Belfast, Glasgow and Swansea. 2009 returned to a total of five, in Hyde Park, Glasgow, Swansea, County Down and Salford . Each location has its own live concert, typically playing the national anthem of the host country, before joining in a live big screen video link up with the Royal Albert Hall for the traditional finale. In later years Proms in
10250-465: The occasion of Lord Nelson 's victory and death, produced at Drury Lane with John Bannister in 1806, which was 'damned on the first night, and never published'. His last production, The Round Robin , was first acted at the Haymarket in June 1811. This incorporated his highly successful song 'The standing toast,' which had been written some time before. During this period, in 1805, he sold Sans Souci and opened
10375-519: The outbreak of World War II in 1939, the BBC withdrew its support. However private sponsors stepped in to maintain the Proms, always under Sir Henry Wood's direction, until the Queen's Hall was devastated beyond repair during an air raid in May 1941. (The site is now occupied by the St George's Hotel and BBC Henry Wood House). The concerts then moved (until 1944) to their current home, the Royal Albert Hall, during
10500-412: The parodist Bonnell Thornton , with whom he co-founded The Connoisseur (1754–1756), a periodical which "wanted weight," as Johnson said, although it reached its 140th number. He left Oxford after taking his degree in 1755 and, having been entered at Lincoln's Inn before his return to London, he was called to the bar in 1757. The friendship he formed with David Garrick did not advance his career as
10625-428: The play Lionel and Clarissa at Covent Garden in 1767, the year of Beard's retirement. By 1768, his articles completed, and receiving harsh treatment from his new manager George Colman , Dibdin was ready to part company with Covent Garden. Garrick, who had coached him a little at Richmond in the previous year, was eager to win over Bickerstaffe to Drury Lane : and as hopes for his new play The Padlock projected for
10750-550: The play and the farce usually presented on the same evening. They included Rose and Colin , Wives revenged and Annette and Lubin ; but Harris instead lumped them together as an after-piece and Dibdin's subtler intention was thwarted. In the following January his speaking pantomime The Touchstone (with songs) was produced, but Mr Pilon, Mr Cumberland, Mrs Cowley and Mr Lee Lewis were permitted to alter it so much that it became almost unrecognisable. However, Dibdin did accept two clever emendations suggested by Garrick, which resulted in
10875-499: The plays of Terence appeared and, in 1766, he produced The Clandestine Marriage jointly with Garrick , whose refusal to take the part of Lord Ogleby led to a quarrel between the two authors. In the next year he purchased a fourth share in the Covent Garden Theatre , which- allegedly- induced General Pulteney to revoke a will by which he had left Colman large estates. The general, who died that year, did, however, leave him
11000-543: The public rather than applying again to the theatres. Instead, building on what he had done in his tour, he commenced a new kind of one-man-show, musical variety entertainments, in which he appeared in his own person on the stage seated at a harpsichord and played the accompaniments to his own songs, without attempting any theatrical personification of his characters. The Whim of the Moment was such an entertainment consisting of recitations and songs, and played from October 1788 until
11125-590: The repertoire heard as the series continued from year to year. While including many popular and less demanding works, in the first season there were substantial nights devoted to Beethoven or Schubert, and a programme of new works was given in the final week. Distinguished singers including Sims Reeves and Signor Foli appeared. In the first two decades Wood firmly established the policy of introducing works by contemporary composers (both British and international) and of bringing fresh life to unperformed or under-performed works. A bronze bust of Sir Henry Wood recovered from
11250-516: The result was not a popular success. There was then an argument between Dibdin and Harris over payment for the work, with the result that Dibdin instead embarked on a project to construct the Royal Circus, (afterwards known as the Surrey Theatre ) for mixed entertainments of various kinds, he planning to form a combination of the stage and an equestrian ring or hippodrome. Several parties including
11375-605: The role of Tom Tug in Dibdin's opera The Waterman . And in James Joyce 's story " Eveline " (from Dubliners ), Frank 'sang about the lass that loves a sailor' from the song of the same name (also called 'The standing toast') by Dibdin. Just before his marriage, James Boswell wrote a song, "A Matrimonial Thought" which was given a tune "by the very ingenious Mr. Dibden." In the blithe days of honey-moon, With Kathe's allurements smitten, I lov'd her late, I lov'd her soon And I called her dearest kitten. But now my kitten's grown
11500-534: The ruins of the bombed-out Queen's Hall in 1941, and now belonging to the Royal Academy of Music , is still placed in front of the organ for the whole Promenade season. Though the concerts are now called the BBC Proms, and are headlined with the BBC logo, the tickets are subtitled "BBC Music presents the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts". In 1927, following Newman's sudden death in the previous year,
11625-425: The same as for that season's concerts, but seated tickets are more expensive. To pre-book a seat, an initial selection is released to winners of a ballot open to those who have booked five or more Prom concerts, and in 2023 there was also an advance sale to those who had seats booked for the cancelled 2022 event. After the advance-booking period, there is no requirement to have booked for additional concerts, but by then
11750-607: The scenes. It is said that in The Comic Mirror Dibdin had ridiculed prominent contemporary figures through the medium of a puppet show. Such things had been tried elsewhere, for instance at the Marylebone Gardens: but on the first night at the Haymarket 'the puppets were goosed off, and the manager made to apologise for the insult offered to the audience.' Nonetheless some of the songs, including Dibdin's 'Reasonable animals' and 'Pandora', became very popular, and Pandora
11875-563: The score for Bickerstaffe's burletta The Recruiting Serjeant , and for his The Maid the Mistress , and The Ephesian Matron in that year, which were all produced in 1769 at Ranelagh Gardens under a two-year contract with the Ranelagh managers for £100 per annum for whatever music he should supply them with. Dibdin set a text by Garrick for The Installation of the Garter in 1771. In February 1773
12000-483: The second Saturday in September, and is broadcast in the UK on BBC Radio 3 , and on television on BBC Two (first half) and BBC One (second half). The concert is traditionally in a lighter, 'winding-down' vein, with popular classics followed by a second half of British patriotic pieces. This sequence traditionally includes Edward Elgar 's " Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1" (to part of which " Land of Hope and Glory "
12125-460: The second half became fully established in 1954 during Sargent's tenure as chief conductor. The Prommers have made a tradition of singing " Auld Lang Syne " after the end of the concert, but this was not included in the programme until 2015. However, when James Loughran , a Scot, conducted the Last Night concert in the late 1970s and early 1980s he did include the piece within the programme. Tickets are highly sought-after. Promming tickets are priced
12250-406: The series (called "Mr Robert Newman's Promenade Concerts") on condition that Henry Wood be employed as the sole conductor. Wood, aged 26, seized this opportunity and built the "Queen's Hall Orchestra" as the ensemble specially devoted to performing the promenade concerts. Cathcart also stipulated (contrary to Newman's preference) the adoption of French or Open Diapason concert pitch , necessitating
12375-452: The spring he commonly cut short the main production to make room for a revival of some items brought out in previous years. Dibdin states that in all these entertainments, he had only the words before him, never having written down the music which was, however, fully composed in his mind. The three-act novelties of each season, or Entertainments Sans-Souci, and their sequels, were as follows: John Adolphus , writing of Dibdin's involvement in
12500-492: The stage was in a happy style; he ran on sprightly and with nearly a laughing face, like a friend who enters hastily to impart to you some good news.' Dibdin's patriotic sea songs and their melodious refrains powerfully influenced the national spirit and were officially appropriated to the use of the British navy during the war with France. They were not shanties or working songs, but a form of distinctively English ballad combining
12625-478: The technique of composing the music entire in his mind, writing down nothing until the finished manuscript was needed: to this method he afterwards adhered. Meanwhile, from 1772 he was also engaged by Thomas King to write regularly for Sadler's Wells , and in that year produced songs for the Musical Dialogues The Palace of Mirth and Bickerstaffe's The Brickdustman . He followed that in 1773 with
12750-407: The tenor and the bass) of no great power or compass, but of a sweet and mellow quality. He sang with simplicity, without any attempt at ambitious ornament, but with a great deal of taste and expression; and, being a poet as well as a musician, he was particularly attentive to a clear and emphatic utterance of the words... In singing, he accompanied himself with facility and neatness, on an instrument of
12875-436: The tonality of the hornpipe with vivid if sentimentalized depictions of the comradeship, the separations from love, the simple patriotism, loyalty and manly courage of Tom, England's Jack Tar . In 1803 he was induced by Pitt's government, with a pension of £200 a year (equivalent to £23,100 in 2023), to abandon provincial engagements to compose and sing 'War Songs' to keep up the ferment of popular feeling against France. This
13000-730: The world. In 1996, a related series of eight lunchtime chamber concerts was started, taking place on Mondays during the Proms season. In their first year these were held in the Britten Hall of the Royal College of Music (just across Prince Consort Road from the Albert Hall). The following year they moved slightly further afield, to the Henry Cole Lecture Theatre at the Victoria and Albert Museum . In 2005, they moved further again, to
13125-556: Was Harvest Home , a two-act comic opera first performed at the Haymarket in 1787. In 1788, having dissolved his connection with the existing theatres and in financial straits, Dibdin considered moving to India. His eldest brother, Captain Thomas Dibdin, had formerly invited him to visit, but had since died, prompting Dibdin to write his greatest song, "Tom Bowling". He now hoped to be received by his brother's old friends, and perhaps to collect certain debts owing to him. Therefore, he made
13250-409: Was John Hollingsworth . Sargent was noted for his immaculate appearance ( evening dress , carnation ) and his witty addresses where he good-naturedly chided the noisy Prommers. Sir Malcolm championed choral music and classical and British composers, especially Samuel Coleridge-Taylor . The charity founded in his name, CLIC Sargent , continues to hold a special Promenade Concert each year shortly after
13375-512: Was an ancestor of the British politician Michael Heseltine . He was also the uncle of the bibliographer Thomas Frognall Dibdin . Seven years after his death a subscription to raise a monument to Dibdin was set in train under the patronage of the Duke of Clarence and Admiral Sir George York. At a public dinner and concert a large sum was raised, but insufficient to complete the project. A second grand musical entertainment, The Feast of Neptune, raised
13500-514: Was attempting to maintain vigour in the programme, under the renewal of its relationship with the BBC as promoters. Sir Henry Wood continued his work with the Proms through vicissitudes with the BBC until his death in 1944, the year of his Jubilee Season. During that period Sir Adrian Boult , chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Basil Cameron also took on conducting duties for the series, continuing them in 1944 when, under increased danger from bombing, they were moved again, this time to
13625-723: Was buried in Kensington Church . Besides the works already cited, Colman was author of adaptations of Beaumont and Fletcher 's Bonduca , Ben Jonson 's Epicoene and Volpone , Milton 's Comus , and of other plays. He also produced an edition of the works of Beaumont and Fletcher (1778), a version of the Ars Poëtica of Horace , an excellent translation from the Mercator of Plautus for Bonnell Thornton 's edition (1769–1772), some thirty plays, and many parodies and occasional pieces. An incomplete edition of his dramatic works
13750-442: Was discreditable to the theatre: whereupon Dibdin obtained the direct intervention of Dr. Arne, who (according to Dibdin) pronounced that this was a scandalous attempt to ruin the reputation of a young man whom it was their duty to encourage and protect. Love in the City was abandoned, but Dibdin's music was successful and was transferred into a play called The Romp . The association with Bickerstaffe continued in Dibdin's music for
13875-612: Was elected to the Literary Club , then nominally consisting of twelve members. In 1771 Thomas Arne 's masque The Fairy Prince premièred at Covent Garden, for which Colman wrote the libretto . In 1774 he sold his share in the playhouse to James Leake, which had involved him in much litigation with his partners, and purchased the little theatre in the Haymarket from Samuel Foote three years later, broken in health and spirits by then. Colman experienced paralysis in 1785; in 1789 his brain became affected and he died on 14 August 1794. He
14000-659: Was later acted at the Circus. Between 1782 and 1783 he engaged some sixty children to act as dancers and singers for his various lively productions at the Circus, for which he supplied many airs, pantomimes, intermezzi and ballets, under such titles as Clump and Cudden , The benevolent tar , The saloon , The talisman , The graces , Long odds , Tom Thumb , The Passions , The Lancashire witches , The Barrier of Parnassus , The Milkmaid , The Refusal of Harlequin , The Land of Simplicity , The Statue , The regions of Accomplishment , and Cestus (a kind of mythological burlesque in which
14125-422: Was more that of a person entertaining a party of friends in a private drawing-room, than of a performer exhibiting to a public audience. He was near-sighted; and, when seated at his instrument, he would bend his head close to his book for a few moments, and then, laying it down, throw himself back in his chair, and deliver his song without further reference to book or music. His voice was a baryton (a medium between
14250-408: Was performed in tribute to 9/11 victims. On the day of the 2005 Last Night, the hall management received word of a bomb threat, which led to a thorough search of the Albert Hall for 5 hours, but the concert took place after a short delay. This has led to increased security concerns, given the stature of the Last Night in British culture, which Jacqui Kelly of the Royal Albert Hall staff noted: That
14375-425: Was quite a nerve-wracker – our biggest event, the one everybody knows the Albert Hall for, and we were in real danger of losing it. We're an iconic thing, up there in the public eye, so we have to expect that. 2008 also contained some departures from the traditional programme. "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1" was moved to after the conductor's speech. In addition, most of Wood's "Fantasia on British Sea Songs"
14500-551: Was re-presented as a two-act farce called The Marriage Act in 1781. After the British victory at the Siege of Savannah , he added a scene in The Mirror depicting British grenadiers (one of whom was played by Frederick Charles Reinhold ) defeating the Comte d'Estaing , leader of the French forces during the battle, and then singing " The British Grenadiers ." He also arranged, wrote and composed
14625-522: Was released in late 2021. All feature the singer Simon Butteriss and the keyboardist Stephen Higgins. The Jubilee also features the singers Soraya Mafi , Robert Murray and Heather Shipp. A previous disc featuring Dibdin's The Ephesian Matron , The Brickdust Man and The Grenadier , conducted by Peter Holman , was released on the Hyperion label in 1992. There have also been many recordings of Dibdin's most famous song, Tom Bowling . Last Night of
14750-426: Was replaced by Vaughan Williams's Sea Songs as a final tribute in his anniversary year. However, Wood's arrangements of naval bugle calls from the start of the "Fantasia" were retained, and Sargent's arrangement of "Rule Britannia" returned with Bryn Terfel as soloist. As on his 1994 Last Night appearance, he sang one verse in a Welsh translation, with the chorus also translated into Welsh. Additionally, 2008 saw
14875-406: Was scheduled to happen, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II , the first Last Night cancellation since 1944. Dalia Stasevska had been selected to conduct. Stasevska returned to conduct the First Night in 2023, while Marin Alsop conducted the Last Night. This marked the first time that the BBC Proms had female conductors open and close the season. As a result of the cancellation, the date for
15000-505: Was shown live in several cinemas across Asia and in Canada and Australia. In 2016, anti- Brexit protestors waved EU flags in addition to the usual Union Jack flags. The protests have continued in subsequent years. In 2020, the concert was performed to an empty hall, due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place in the UK . Two years later, in 2022, the concert was cancelled 48 hours before it
15125-486: Was the Last Night's first female conductor in 2013. The Royal Albert Hall could be filled many times over with people who would wish to attend. To involve extra people, and to cater for those who are not near London, the Proms in the Park concerts were started in 1996. Initially there was one, in Hyde Park adjacent to the Hall, which was a simple video relay of the concert at the Royal Albert Hall. As audiences grew, Proms in
15250-438: Was the first at the Royal Albert Hall, when he thanked colleagues and sponsors. Wood gave a similar speech at the 1942 Last Night, and a pre-recorded version was played at the 1943 Last Night. During his tenure as conductor, Sir Malcolm Sargent established the tone of making the Last Night speech more humorous. Subsequent conductors have generally continued this, although one exception was in 1997 when Sir Andrew Davis addressed
15375-441: Was the first complete restoration of the instrument since Harrison and Harrison's work in 1936. The tradition of Promming remains an important aspect of the festival, with over 1000 standing places available for each concert, either in the central arena (rather like the groundlings in the pit at Shakespeare's Globe ) or high in the hall's gallery. Promming tickets cost the same for all concerts (currently £8 as of 2023 ), providing
15500-525: Was withdrawn for a time under the administration of Lord Grenville, but afterwards partly restored. Dibdin still provided texts for operas, including The Cabinet , which was presented at Covent Garden in February 1803 with John Braham , Nancy Storace and Charles Incledon , and in December The British Fleet in 1342 . At least two further operas appeared: Broken Gold was a farce in two acts on
15625-582: Was written for Sadler's Wells in 1776, and his comic opera The Metamorphosis modelled on Molière 's Sicilian , but with songs and music his own, was performed at the Haymarket in the same year. His comic opera The Seraglio , incorporating the famous rondeau song 'Blow High, Blow Low' (written during a gale returning from Calais) was first acted at Covent Garden in November 1776. The productive season of 1777 included songs for The vineyard revels (a pantomime), She
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