Rule Britannia! and other Proms favourites will be played, BBC says

LAND OF Hope And Glory and Rule Britannia! will be performed at the Last Night Of The Proms, the BBC has said, after a Sunday newspaper claimed they could be dropped from the concert because of the perceived association the songs have with colonialism and slavery.

Downing Street said yesterday the songs should not be dropped from the performance.

A statement from the BBC said: “With much reduced musical forces and no live audience, the Proms will curate a concert that includes familiar, patriotic elements such as Jerusalem and the national anthem, and bring in new moments capturing the mood of this unique time, including You’ll Never Walk Alone, presenting a poignant and inclusive event for 2020.”

It added: “We very much regret the unjustified personal attacks on Dalia Stasevska, BBC Symphony Orchestra principal guest conductor, made on social media and elsewhere.

“As ever, decisions about the Proms are made by the BBC, in consultation with all artists involved.”

A new arrangement of Jerusalem will be performed, along with orchestral versions of Land Of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia!

Downing Street has entered into the controversy, while Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he had written to the BBC over the issue.

The Prime Minister believes in tackling the “substance” not the “symbols” of problems, a Number 10 spokesman said.

“This is a decision and a matter for the organisers of the Proms and the BBC,” the spokesman said.

“But the PM previously has set out his position on like issues and has been clear that while he understands the strong emotions involved in these discussions, we need to tackle the substance of problems, not the symbols.”

Ms Stasevska, from Finland, is conducting the Last Night this year, with soprano Golda Schultz and the BBC Symphony Orchestra performing.

The actor Laurence Fox, who regularly criticises the BBC, wrote: “I feel so honoured to be British and part of the incredible and diverse modern nation we have become.

“Without the past, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”