This past Saturday night was an iconic annual British event called Last Night of the Proms. The Proms is a summer classical music festival that spans two months and this year consisted of over 100 promenade concerts. The Last Night of the Proms is televised by the BBC every year and the finale of the entire concert series is a performance of patriotic songs at the Royal Albert Hall. The most memorable of performances is always “Rule, Britannia!” which features a mezzo-soprano soloist with the crowd joining in for the chorus with rollicking unabashed Britishness.
This year I didn’t watch the whole thing since the time slot interfered with The X Factor auditions. I did however get to watch a bit of “Rule, Britannia!” and it if there is nothing else of the Last Night of the Proms that you watch, you must see this. I think the video really sums up what the Last Night of the Proms is all about and what a treasured event it is for the British people. Although, I have to say that I am not sure why the mezzo-soprano is dressed as Lord Nelson.
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia was started to get us back to the UK for a trip and it did that in 2009. Now, the goal is for Anglotopia to make our dreams of traveling to the UK whenever we want a reality.
Thanks for posting this. I look forward to the Last Night every year. I haven’t watched it, I waited to download it in HD so I can watch it on my HDTV.
It’s on my bucket list to go to the Last Night of the Proms one day – but I’m sure it’s one of the hardest and most expensive tickets to get!
Did that clip make anyone else cry?
Lisa, I love your dispatches. Thank you for explaining the Proms – I’d been wondering what the heck that meant ever since I saw the banner on the BBC iplayer web page. Mystery solved
Rule, Britannia always stirs me up emotionally and I’m not even British.
I prefer Britain’s Patriotic songs over American’s anyday. Our’s our lame in comparison.
I mean who doesn’t love a song that declares ‘we shall never be slaves!’
That brought a tear to MY eye, and I’m a Yank! There’s just nothing like a chorus in unison singing for the love of country.
I love “Rule, Britannia!” as well, it just SOUNDS British, even without the words. I think the US has some pretty awesome patriotic songs though, and I have to say I am not a fan of “God Save The Queen”. I think “Rule, Britannia!” should be the national anthem, or maybe “Jerusalem” which is my personal favorite British patriotic song (but I think the WI has a monopoly on that song). Even “Land of Hope and Glory” would be a better fit than “God Save the Queen”.
That was beautiful! Thank you so much for explaining that, I’ve never understood what the Proms were before. Amazing!
Jonathan, skip Albert Hall and go directly to Hyde Park for Last Night of the Proms instead. It’s awesome!