If national treasure concert can go ahead, a little faith will be restored
As a symbol of British pride, the classical event of the year could raise our spirits in this time of crisis
Coronavirus has had a far more devastating effect on the Proms than Adolf Hitler ever did. While Sir Henry Wood’s Promenade Concerts relocated to Bedford Corn Exchange during the Second World War after they were forced out of bomb-blitzed London, David Pickard (current proms director) has no such option. And so, for six weeks, classical music fans must make do with archive material from Proms history before the concerts transfer to the Royal Albert Hall for the last two. Names of artists are unconfirmed; exact conditions within the Hall are awaiting official advice. Watching concerts from the past is a quick-fix solution (the BBC is doing much the same with the completely cancelled Glastonbury), but while there is a great deal to enjoy from 73 years of televised concerts, and radio recordings stretching back to the Twenties, there is no substitute for the power of live music. The appeal of the Proms lies partly in the extraordinary atmosphere they create which, whether you are lucky enough to be at the Albert Hall or watching in the comfort of your own home, is infectious.
Of course, under current government restrictions, the idea of any kind of electric atmosphere is unlikely. However, the Proms might well have sought inspiration from the Wigmore Hall, which is staging live lunchtime concerts every weekday throughout June, featuring various soloists. Our classical artists, many of them freelance and not well remunerated, could certainly do with the opportunity. An empty venue is a strange thing to behold, but new isolated Proms concerts from the start would make no small contribution to a live arts scene in crisis.
When the Proms finally move to the Albert Hall on August 28, it is very hard to know what sort of concert to expect. However, the size of this extraordinary building, which has a capacity of 5,544, including standing room in the gallery, means that social distancing could take place effectively. My guess is that it could run at a
30 per cent capacity, which would mean a live audience of around 2,000. Families could make use of the many boxes, and Promenaders could sit a seat apart from each other in every other row. This would lead to a rather denuded Last Night but it would be a step in the right direction.
The Last Night of the Proms, love it or loathe it, is, of course, an important event in the English psyche. It has become a political football in recent years, and a battleground in miniature between Leavers and Remainers, but ultimately it is a celebration of a festival, which is the envy of the world, and we mustn’t forget that. If, come the Last Night on September 12, tough restrictions are still in place and viewers at home are reduced to waving flags out of their windows, it will be a very sorry state of affairs. The Proms are a source of national pride and needs to be cherished to full effect. Nothing beats our flagship concerts in terms of their scale or their star power.
Sir Simon Rattle has described the Proms as “a sort of home”, and he’s right. If we’re denied the full experience, we will feel destitute.