How the BBC can recapture the glory of the Proms
In the febrile atmosphere of 2020, nothing has caused quite as much bile to be spat as the BBC’S decision to play orchestral versions of Rule, Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory and then revoke that decision. And yet, now that the dust has settled, it seems like the time to assess the contribution of the Proms to our cultural life in 2020 and how it can move on from the whole sorry affair and provide a programme of concerts next year that confirms why it is the greatest annual musical event in the world.
Of course Covid-19 presented David Pickard, the Proms director, and his team with an almost impossible situation as rules on social distancing were changed and they were left constantly wondering whether they would be allowed to admit punters into the Royal Albert Hall. The constantly moving story of travel restrictions also frustrated the programme as big-name performers were finding themselves forced to self-isolate or stranded abroad. At the best of times, the season of concerts is a logistical puzzle baffling enough to confuse Confucius – this year’s ever-evolving headache was in another league.
Yet there is no doubt that, in its 125th anniversary year, the Proms has not covered itself in glory. The drip-feeding of announcements (and announcements that announced there was no announcement) were confusing and frustrating; a limit on these would have suggested more confidence.
Worse was the much-vaunted, but ultimately desultory, archive season, which was a terrific opportunity to air some of the great performances of the past. However, the oldest recording on offer was from 1987. Where was Malcolm Sargent, that great showman who was the chief conductor of the Proms in the mid-20th century and for many still represents the season? And how about those extraordinary premieres? The performing version of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony under Berthold Goldschmidt, or Peter Maxwell Davies’s polarising Worldes Blis?
And then there was the notorious U-turn on the Last Night, the genesis of which is still not clear (at one point it was suggested that the conductor Dalia Stasevska had demanded the changes because of their links with colonialism, something which she has vigorously denied). Even if the BBC was not subjecting itself to the influence of its artists, there is no doubt that under stronger leadership, a decision would have been made and stuck to (it is hard to imagine such flip-flopping happening under the watch of Tim Davie, the new directorgeneral).
The lazy assumption is that the furore was stirred up by reactionaries; that the anger was caused by those upset at perceived “wokeness” within the corporation. And yet, while the debacle has shown that the BBC would do best to make themselves immune to the social media echo chamber, my feeling is that the anger caused by the situation was rather more ineffable.
In a year when everything feels uncertain, there was something comforting about looking forward to a Last Night which didn’t frighten the horses. I am sure that many of those who were annoyed at the preliminary changes were simply upset by the sense of something lost. The BBC underestimated the affection the public have for the Last Night, which is odd given that it is they who turned it into a flag-waving jamboree in the first place (before the Proms were televised there was little of such gaudiness).
In the end, it was the best it could possibly have been.
The wonderful soprano Golda Schultz dazzled and there was something rather haunting about the pared-down versions of the swiftly reinstated crowd-pleasers. Thankfully, it proved not to be a symbol of corporation anxiety, but a symbol of how great the Proms can be.
It is fair to say now that the BBC can move on from this with very little in the way of collateral damage. The spite uttered is tomorrow’s fish and chip paper and there is no doubt that the smart and knowledgeable Pickard has already picked a line-up for next year that will be the envy of several other international festivals.
But there is work to be done. They need to say straight away that it will be business as usual (they have already done so regarding the Last Night) and, if possible, tease some of the names for 2021 much further in advance instead of with the usual three months’ notice.
There is a possibility that some of our home orchestras and soloists will be stuck because of the knock-on effects of cancelled performances from this year, so understandably Pickard faces another juggling act.
Still, if this year’s Proms has taught us one thing, it is that the season doesn’t just give a platform to musicians of international renown. The acclaim for both Schultz and tenor Allan Clayton (who performed Britten’s Nocturne two weeks ago) proved that the Proms can also make stars, and an essentially more fleetfooted and reactive schedule could be tremendously exciting, allowing smaller names to be parachuted in at a minute’s notice.
Amid all of this, though, the BBC must spare a thought for the poor old Royal Albert Hall. This gleaming jewel (simultaneously breathtakingly gorgeous and hopelessly counterintuitive in design) is in dire financial straits and is having to rely on the goodwill of donors and philanthropy.
I am sure many licence fee payers would not begrudge the corporation increasing the amount of money it pays to the venue next year to help ensure its survival.
The Proms without the Royal Albert Hall would be unthinkable. Pledging money to it now would be an extraordinary act of goodwill – and just the sort of positive PR that the Proms now needs.
The Corporation must confirm soon that it will be business as usual next year