Homegrown harmony

SIR – Chris James (Letters, August 2) is undoubtedly correct about the politicising of the BBC Proms. However, an analysis of the works performed over 75 concerts this year shows the extent to which the music is now dominated by Europe.

Arne, Delius, Parry, Purcell, Sargent and Wood manage just 10 works between them. There are six works by Britten, Vaughan Williams and Walton, none of whom gets more than an hour’s playing time. Holst gets just over an hour (two works). Handel does particularly well at 172 minutes (five works) and Elgar tops the table at 218 minutes with six works.

You can hear five symphonies by Beethoven, five by Mahler and four by Shostakovich. But there are only four British symphonies (three by Elgar) in 75 Proms. Last year, we had just one.

In all fairness to the BBC, it does not neglect modern British music at the Proms. Nevertheless, if the Germans hosted their own Proms, would the event be dominated by British music? Chris Cope

King’s Nympton, Devon