| Arts & Entertainment | |
| Royal Albert Hall | |
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Contacts |
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| Contacts | |
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Royal Albert Hall for more information visit the Royal Albert Hall website
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| Proms Season 2001 | |
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BBC Proms Proms 2001 continues to explore the highest quality of music and music-making both new and old, looking particularly to innovate and challenge, while adhering to the ideal of the Proms: to bring musical excellence to as wide an audience as possible. Visits by great orchestras from abroad are especially plentiful in 2001, offering performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Bernard Haitink and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim, who also appears as pianist. Other distinguished visitors include the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra with Vladimir Ashkenazy, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra with Herbert Blomstedt, the Orchestre de Paris with Christoph Eschenbach, the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra with Yuri Temirkanov, and the Kirov Orchestra with Valery Gergiev. Günter Wand, one of the world's most respected interpreters of Bruckner and the Austro-German Romantic repertoire, makes a welcome return to the Proms at the head of Hamburg's NDR Symphony Orchestra. Acclaimed for its dedicated patronage of new music, the Proms presents 10 BBC commissions this season, with 11 other world, UK or London premieres. The range of new works extends from the world premieres of large scale compositions by James MacMillan, Alexander Goehr and Sir John Tavener to Sir Harrison Birtwistle's latest composition for brass ensemble. Young composers Julian Philips and Ian Wilson make their Proms debuts with new works for orchestra, while New Yorker Tobias Picker's Cello Concerto receives its first performance with Paul Watkins as soloist. Every Prom is broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, with regular weekday afternoon repeats. All concerts will also be streamed online via the Radio 3 website (www.bbc.co.uk/radio3). Proms in the Park, which takes the Last Night party atmosphere beyond the Royal Albert Hall, is being held in more venues around the UK than ever before. As well as London's Hyde Park, concerts take place in Liverpool and Gateshead, and at the newly opened Eden Project in Cornwall, all with the Last Night big-screen link-up. Booking for the 107th season opens on Monday 21 May for postal and fax booking. Telephone booking opens on Friday 15 June. Postal Booking Fax Booking Telephone Booking (opens 15 June) In Person Booking (opens 15 June) for full programme visit the BBC Website
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| News: Sombre Last Night of the Proms - 17/09/01 | |
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The promenaders experienced a sombre Last Night on Saturday, after the events in the US put everyone in a more contemplative mood. For once the Union Jack was joined by the Stars and Stripes, both inside the Royal Albert Hall and at open air events around the country. The usually buoyant celebration was toned down in the wake of Tuesday's terror attacks on the US. Patriotic anthems such as Rule, Britannia! and Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance were abandoned in favour of more reflective pieces. And concert-goers joined in a minute's silence for the attack victims. The Last Night was conducted by an American for the first time, with BBC symphony orchestra chief conductor Leonard Slatkin in charge. Mr Slatkin addressed the audience both before and after the performance thanking them for their support for the US. He said the orchestra had quickly realised that the attacks meant this year's performance would have to be different. He said: "One thing became very clear to us, that the very special nature of the Last Night of the Proms for this night would not be the same. "What was to be a celebration of the new - me - and the traditions - you - would have to be put aside for a moment. American Leonard Slatkin thanked the audience for its support "We use music tonight to express all the emotions we all feel." More than 6,000 people packed the Royal Albert Hall in London for the performance which was shown in more than 40 countries across the world. Thousands of people also watched the concert in live links to events around the country, in Gateshead, Cornwall, Liverpool and London's Hyde Park. US Attacks Affect Proms - 14/09/01The terrorist attacks on the the US have led to the organisers of the Last Night of the Proms to rethink their programme, moving away from the usual rabble-rousing anthems towards more reflective pieces. There were also reports that the organisers were to ban the traditional flag-waving amongst the promenaders, but now the official stance is that flags will be allowed to be waved, but they should be flags of all nations rather than just Union Jacks. By coincidence the programme had been due to feature John Adams's Short Ride In A Fast Machine which was pulled from the Last Night once before, following the death of Diana, Princess Of Wales. Another Adams piece, his fanfare Tromba Lontana, will take its place. Other substitutes will be Barber's Adagio for Strings, Tippett's A Child Of Our Time and the choral finale from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Nicholas Kenyon, director of the BBC Proms, said: " We feel it is vital to respond to people's mood at this sombre and difficult time, and at the same time to show that music can affirm our shared humanity." There is also uncertainty about the appearance of American mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade who is stranded in the States. The Last Night is being conducted by an American for the first time, Leonard Slatkin. He said today: " I am honoured to be doing the Last Night. Maybe more than ever." London university to offer degree
in the proms
- 19/04/01 |
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| What's On: December 2001/ January & February 2002 | |
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December 10 Paul Weller 11 Jose Carreras & Elaine Paige 12 Paul Weller 13 Christmas Carols With The Stars 14 A Sargent Christmas Cracker 15 The Bach Choir Family Carols 15 Messiah 16 Classic Carols 16 The Glory of Christmas 17 Royal Choral Society Christmas Carols 18 King's College Choir 19 The BT Christmas Concert 20 A Gospel Christmas 21 Messiah 22 Christmas Carol Singalong 22 Christmas Choral Gala 23 White Christmas 23-24 Carols by Candlelight 31 Tweenies - Live! The Christmas Present January 11-12 Joaquin Cortes 13 The Sleeping Beauty - The St . Petersburg Ballet Theatre February 1 Embrace 5 Marti Pellow & Guests - Teenage Cancer Concert Series 6 Oasis & Guests - Teenage Cancer Trust Concert Series 7-8 The Who & Guests - Teenage Cancer Trust Concert Series 9 Paul Weller Big Band & Guests - Teenage Cancer Trust Concert Series 12 Grand Prix Charity Concert 14-16 Mountbatten Festival of Music 21-28 Carmen Bookings may be made in person or by telephoning
020 7589 8212 Details of individual concerts are available at the Royal Albert Hall website
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| History of Royal Albert Hall | |
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Following the success of the Great Exhibition of 1851 (the world’s first international ‘Expo’), the Hall was conceived by Albert, the Prince Consort, as the centrepiece of the proposed development of a range of national institutions - cultural, scientific and academic - that for the first time would be located on a single site. As a first step towards the realisation of the Prince’s masterplan, a 50 acre estate in South Kensington was bought from the substantial profits made by the Exhibition. By the end of the 19th century the area had been transformed and today embraces not only the Hall but the Victoria and Albert, Science and Natural History Museums, Imperial College, the Royal Colleges of Music and Art and the Royal Geographical Society: a living monument to the vision and inspiration of the Prince and his contemporaries. Prince Albert died suddenly in 1861 before much of the site was occupied. But by that time the overall concept had firmly taken root. Plans for a ‘Great Central Hall’ were taken forward by the very eminent Victorian, Henry Cole, with whom the Prince had worked on other major public building projects. Under the terms of a Royal Charter of 1867, a ‘Corporation’ was established to ‘build and maintain’ the ‘Hall of Arts and Sciences’ (to which Royal Albert was soon added). Construction began that year and was completed in 1871, when the Hall was formally opened in the presence of HM Queen Victoria, the late Prince’s devoted widow. The magnificent frieze that encircles the building succinctly describes its purpose: ‘This Hall was erected for the Advancement of the Arts and Sciences, and works of industry of all nations, in fulfillment of the intentions of Albert, Prince Consort’. Those objectives reflect the terms of the Royal Charter under which the Hall was founded, and (together with a number of Acts of Parliament) continue to be regulated. As well as providing, on a 999 year lease at nominal cost, the land on which the Hall stands, the Royal Commission for the 1851 Exhibition - which continues as the Hall’s ‘landlord’ - also made a substantial donation towards the overall cost of its construction, forecast at £200,000. The remainder of the initial funding was made up by the sale of some 1,300 of the original 7,000 seats in the Auditorium, at a charge of £100 per seat. These ‘permanent’ seats remain largely in private or corporate hands, the seatholders being the Members of the Corporation of the Hall.
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| Hiring the Hall | |
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The Albert Hall has been described as the nation's town hall. Why not book it for your own event ... that solo performance you've always wanted to make ... go on, you know you're worth it. The Royal Albert Hall provides a unique venue in the heart of London for every kind of event. Situated opposite Kensington Gardens and close to world-class hotels and the exclusive shops of Knightsbridge, it is easily accessible by tube, bus, car or on foot. Its 5000 seat auditorium provides a combination of intimacy and grandeur which, together with its sense of history, make it a favourite amongst performers and audiences. The Hall is available for hire by event organisers and commercial promoters and offers a package of facilities and services designed to ensure that each event meets its full potential. For further information please contact the Head
of Sales on 020 7589 3203,
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