It was not me
BBC in firing line after conductor reveals she had no say in Proms surrender over Rule Britannia
THE Rule Britannia row approached a crescendo last night – after the conductor of this year’s Last Night of the Proms denied any role in the decision to lose the lyrics.
Dalia Stasevska claimed she had been ‘wrongly portrayed as a person who tries to influence political debates’ and was not responsible.
Miss Stasevska, from Finland, had reportedly been keen to replace the patriotic elements of Last Night, on September 12.
Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory are due to be performed by the orchestra, but without singing, after claims the lyrics celebrated colonialism and slavery.
In a statement issued last night, Miss Stasevska, 35, said she wanted ‘to speak through my work to bring people together and build solidarity’. It is unclear who pushed for the lyrics to be dropped, or if she supported the decision.
‘I am so honoured to be part of this year’s BBC Proms and its iconic Last Night,’ she said. ‘I understand its prominence in the UK classical music calendar and wider cultural landscape.
‘It is incredibly exciting to be part of an event with such longstanding tradition.
‘However, in recent days there has been a good deal of inaccurate speculation about my role in determining the format of this year’s Last Night of the Proms.
‘This false speculation has led to abuse and threats towards me and my family which is why I am speaking out. For the record I have played no role in deciding the traditional elements of the programme, I recognise these are an important part of the event.
‘I’ve been wrongly portrayed as a person who tries to influence political debates – this is not true.
‘I do not intend to enter the public debate. I am a professional musician with a fondness and respect for the UK.’
The Last Night had already been thrown into turmoil due to coronavirus measures. Rule Britannia has traditionally been performed by around 80 members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and a 100strong chorus, with the audience waving Union flags.
Social distancing guidelines could see the number of musicians halved and there will be no audience at the Royal Albert Hall.
The Prime Minister, MPs and Trevor Phillips, the former head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, have all criticised the BBC’s decision. As of last night more than 60,000 had signed a petition on website change.org to demand Tim Davie, the incoming BBC director general, reinstate the lyrics. Earlier this week, Boris Johnson accused the BBC of ‘wetness’ and said: ‘I think it’s time we stopped our cringing embarrassment about our history.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘As we have always made clear, it is the BBC that is the decision maker. No one else. Hopefully we can all start focusing on the music which is about bringing us all together.’