The First Night/The Nation's Favourite in the Guardian
Nicholas Kenyon talks about the Proms - mentioning that it's only £4 to stand. Four quid - some bars in central London charge that for a glass of wine!
Giant organ tunes up for world's biggest music festival says the Independent, which recommends Rattle conducting Das Rheingold, and Monteverdi's Vespers, both of which I've got tickets for, and ALfred Brendel, which I tried, but failed to get a ticket.
We heard a bit of the organ on Saturday night. The interval feature on BBC2 on Friday night on the rebuilding of the organ was fascinating. Also, bringing in a music-loving Astronomer - Heather Couper - to preview Holst's planets was inspired.
Incidentally, I know Heather Couper from Saturday Morning Children's TV. I'm tempted to say way back when, but I think I actually mean early to mid-Nineties, when Saturday Superstore was de rigeur for any intelligent twenty-something.
Over the years, Swap Shop and Super Store, as well as featuring the latest in teen pop culture always managed to have an intelligent element - Heather Couper on Astronomy, Delia Smith on cooking, Paula Danziger (who, sadly, died a couple of weeks ago) on books. I remember Edward Heath on the Brandt report. Lots on Environmental issues, History, Geography, Architecture, Engineering. Interviews with leading politicians. All interspersed with cartoons, goofy games, and videos of/interviews with the latest teen pop sensation. And more established, less transient pop musicians. Even a bit of Classical.
I don't think it's because I'm old and jaded, but their successor programmes have dumbed down so much they are an insult to the nation's children. Only the cartoons and the latest talentless manufactured pre-teen pop phenomenom remain. It makes me angry that arrogant patronising tossers are now in charge of such output. I don't think we ever felt we were being lectured to in a dull but worthy way. I certainly know my parents were happy to have the TV on for three hours on a Saturday morning, knowing that as we drifted in and out, we were being entertained, but also educated.
I suppose they think that children today won't be interested, but I know that my nephew loves Blue Peter almost as much as The Simpsons, is not averse to intelligent adults' telly, and is an inveterate googler
/rant.
Back to the Proms. I'm off to Holst/Elgar/Delius tonight, and will provide a review tomorrow morning. It's being shown on delayed relay at 7.30 pm on BBC4 tonight, so watch it and decide just how much claptrap I talk!
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