Latest news with #Proms
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spitfires, parachutists and cavalry at palace's nostalgia event
Staff at stately home Blenheim Palace are getting ready to stage the annual Battle Proms next month. Each year, the Woodstock visitor attraction hosts the military nostalgia event. The Battle Proms takes place overlooking the Column of Victory in the palace grounds, which include 2,100 acres of formal gardens and 'Capability' Brown-landscaped parkland. READ MORE: Heatwave coming to Oxfordshire This year's Proms will take place on Saturday, July 5. (Image: Blenheim Palace) The Battle Proms Concerts are the longest running picnic proms series in the UK, attracting about 30,000 visitors a year since the first concert in 1997. Proms concerts are also held at Burghley House, Peterborough, Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire, and Highclere Castle, Hampshire. At Blenheim, gates will open at 4.30pm, and there will be a cavalry display at 6.15pm, followed by a parachute display from The Red Devils at 6.45pm. There will be an evening gun salute featuring more than 200 cannons at 7.55pm, followed by a Spitfire display at 8pm. (Image: Oxford Mail) The musical programme runs from 8pm to 10.30pm and there will be a fireworks finale. Entry to the palace and gardens is not included in the Battle Proms ticket, but Battle Proms ticket holders can purchase palace entry with an exclusive 30% discount if they plan to visit the palace during the day. The website says: "Widely regarded as the most exciting summer proms concert in the country, the Battle Proms is a firmly established favourite that thousands of fans return to year after year. "Pack up a picnic, stock up on fizz and join the party; whether you're planning a romantic evening as a couple, a celebration as a group, or want to enjoy an informal concert as a family then this could be the unique experience you have been looking for." The event will support armed forces charity SSAFA. SSAFA said in a statement: "A full programme of unforgettable entertainment will ensure your evening goes off with a bang. "You will enjoy daring cavalry performances, hair-raising parachute displays and hear the unmistakable rumble of the Spitfire as it flies overhead and if that's not enough, this perfect summer evening will conclude with a ground shaking firework and cannon display as the orchestra perform Beethoven's 'Battle Symphony'. "Whether you're planning a romantic evening as a couple, a group celebration, or want to enjoy a fun filled day out as a family, this could be the unique experience you've been looking for." Assistance dogs are the only dogs that are permitted at the event. Blenheim Palace annual pass holders are entitled to a 10 per cent discount on standard advance adult and child tickets.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carlisle to host UK Proms in the Park tour this July
Carlisle Castle is set to host the UK Proms in the Park tour this July. The historic fortress will provide a backdrop for a weekend of music, featuring the UK Dance Anthems Orchestra and the UK Proms Orchestra. The event is part of a UK-wide tour of eight locations. The UK Proms Weekend will kick off on Friday, July 4, with the Dance Anthems Orchestra, a 30-piece ensemble that will take the audience on a journey through four decades of dance tunes. Gates will open at 5.30pm, with the orchestra starting at 7.30pm. On Saturday, July 5, the UK Proms Orchestra will take centre stage for a night of classical music. The concert will feature popular movie tracks and sing-along favourites, culminating in a finale of classics from the Last Night of the Proms. Helen Skelton, TV presenter, will be hosting on the Saturday evening (Image: Supplied) The evening will be hosted by Helen Skelton, TV presenter, and conducted by Joe Davies. Mr Davies said: "I couldn't be more excited for the Proms in Carlisle. "Bringing an evening of brilliant music to the UK's finest county will be something special. "I've always been proud to be a Cumbrian. "It's a county with a rich and diverse history, full of music, art, and literature. "This event will pay homage to this, and it's fantastic we're able to perform in the iconic Carlisle Castle." The concert will also feature patriotic songs to mark the year of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, including Jerusalem, Land of Hope and Glory, and the national anthems of Wales, Scotland, and England. The event will also include British favourites such as Sweet Caroline and Hey Jude, as well as sea shanty songs. Justin Klekot, UK Proms director and co-founder, said: "It will be a magical evening at Carlisle Castle, listening to some of the UK's most talented classical musicians performing as the sun sets on a summer's evening." The UK Proms plans more events this year, including the Three Tenors by Candlelight series, Big Band Jukebox, and The Horror Ensemble. Peter Metcalfe, UK Proms director and co-founder, said: "We wanted to provide people across Carlisle a 'Last Night of The Prom' experience on their doorstep. "Carlisle Castle is the perfect venue, and this year it promises to be bigger and better than ever." The weekend will also feature support acts, vocalists, and dancers, all performing on a new stage. There will be three bars and street food on offer from the award-winning Digbeth Dining Club. Tickets for both nights are available at
Express Tribune
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Grammy winner Arooj Aftab is set to take over BBC Proms
Grammy-winning Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab is set to make her BBC Proms debut this summer in a performance at London's Royal Albert Hall. The concert, scheduled for July 29, will feature orchestral arrangements of music from across Aftab's discography, including selections from her albums Bird Under Water (2015), Vulture Prince (2021), and Night Reign (2024). Aftab announced the concert on Instagram on Tuesday, inviting fans to join her for the event: "Listen, you have to come to BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall with me. Get tickets without thinking. We will present selected tunes, the good sh*t from Bird, Vulture Prince and Night. The great Ibrahim Maalouf will be there with his own full set the same day. I am beyond crazed for this one, and so proud and ecstatic to share this iconic experience with you." The performance will be conducted by Jules Buckley, known for his work bridging contemporary music and classical performance. The BBC Symphony Orchestra will provide the symphonic foundation for Aftab's genre-defying sound, which blends jazz, folk, blues, and South Asian classical influences. Aftab will be joined on stage by her longtime collaborators: Greek bassist Petros Klampanis and American guitarist Gyan Riley. Also appearing is celebrated French-Lebanese trumpeter Maalouf, who will perform his own solo set before joining Aftab's ensemble. Known for his eclectic sound combining Latin American, Middle Eastern, and electronic influences, Maalouf describes music as "limitless", a sentiment echoed in the cross-genre spirit of the evening's lineup. The Royal Albert Hall's official programme describes Aftab as "breaking new ground with her captivating, eclectic melting-pot of influences." Her Proms debut promises a new dimension to her work, reinterpreted through full symphonic arrangements. The July 29 performance is part of the wider 2025 Proms season, which includes 86 concerts across venues in London, Gateshead, Bristol, Bradford, Belfast, and Sunderland. Also confirmed for this year's edition are performances by St Vincent, Angelique Kidjo, and one-handed pianist Nicholas McCarthy. Aftab's appearance at the Proms marks a significant milestone in her expanding international career, offering audiences a rare opportunity to hear her signature sound on an orchestral scale. Tickets are currently available via the Royal Albert Hall website.
Evening Standard
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
When is BBC Proms back on TV in 2025?
Criticism of this year's Proms has been rife, with people asking whether TV tie-ins are really necessary, contesting that the UK is not being properly represented, and complaining about too many orchestras from around the world.
Irish Post
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Proms go Baroque with Irish orchestra set to perform rare Dublin Handel piece
IN A LANDMARK moment for Irish classical music, the Irish Baroque Orchestra (IBO) will make its debut at the BBC Proms this summer, performing the 1742 Dublin version of Handel's Alexander's Feast at the Royal Albert Hall on August 30, 2025. It will be only the second time an orchestra from the Republic has performed at the Proms, following the New Irish Chamber Orchestra's appearance in 1979. The performance will be conducted by Peter Whelan, Artistic Director of the IBO, who described the invitation as a 'dream come true.' The version of Alexander's Feast being performed is unique to Ireland, reconstructed by the IBO using manuscripts uncovered at Pearse Street Library in Dublin. 'We made some discoveries… It was a bit like Indiana Jones, dusting off these old manuscripts,' Whelan said. 'There's extra material, and it's distributed in a different way. Even Handel scholars are finding it very exciting.' The IBO's Proms invitation followed a performance with Irish National Opera at the Royal Opera House last year, attended by Proms Director David Pickard. Aliye Cornish Moore, CEO of the IBO, said: 'He was blown away and confirmed almost straight away that he wanted the Irish Baroque Orchestra to appear.' The Proms appearance caps a period of growing international recognition for the IBO. In 2022, they won an Olivier Award for their work on Bajazet with Irish National Opera, and were nominated this year for L'Olimpiade . They have also released a string of recordings on Linn Records highlighting Irish classical music history, including The Hibernian Muse , Rachel Baptist: Ireland's Black Syren , and Welcome Home Mr Dubourg . Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan TD called it 'an important milestone in the history of classical music in Ireland.' Baroque & roll and Irish trad Baroque music is a style of Western classical music that originated around 1600 and lasted until roughly 1750. It's known for its ornamentation, contrast, and expressive intensity, and it laid much of the foundation for modern classical music. Famous Baroque composers, alongside Handel, include Bach and Vivaldi. Baroque music has a footnote in Irish traditional music. In the 18th century, for various reasons, Ireland was home to many European composers. It has been suggested that the rich ornamentation of Irish traditional music owes as much to Baroque music as it does to Celtic motifs. Ornamentation is a defining feature of both Baroque and Irish traditional music. In Irish music, ornamentation includes techniques like rolls, cuts, triplets, and crans, which add expressive nuances to melodies — or in the vernacular, 'they humour a tune.' Similarly, Baroque music is characterised by its elaborate ornamentation, such as trills and mordents, used to embellish musical lines. The shared emphasis on ornamentation suggests a stylistic overlap dating back to the 18th century. Turlough O'Carolan (1670–1738), an Irish harper and composer, also displayed a debt to European Baroque music. Harp playing was not, strictly speaking, folk music — it was written for the Irish aristocracy. But O'Carolan's compositions often combined traditional Irish melodies with the Baroque style, reflecting the influence of composers like Vivaldi. To some extent, he can be seen as a bridge between the native Irish harping tradition and the European Baroque style. Handel's Messiah Alexander's Feast is not one of the best-known Baroque pieces, but it was the success of this composition that allowed Handel to compose more oratorios — including Messiah . This received its world premiere in Dublin on April 13, 1742, at Neal's Music Hall on Fishamble Street. The concert was organised to support local charities and drew a packed audience, with ladies asked to forgo hooped skirts and men to divest themselves of their swords to allow more people in — estimates put the crowd at 700. Handel had been invited to Dublin by the Lord Lieutenant and found the city's musical life vibrant and welcoming. The oratorio, composed in just 24 days, features the 'Hallelujah' chorus. Dubliners were the first to hear a work that would go on to become a global classic. Karen Ní Bhroin Irish conductor Karen Ní Bhroin will also make her Proms debut this year. On July 26, she will conduct the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers in a performance inspired by the BBC's reality show The Traitors . Presented by Claudia Winkleman, it will feature both afternoon and evening performances. Ní Bhroin, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Kent State University, is the first Irish female conductor to appear at the Proms. She is a recent recipient of the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship and will also work this year with the Welsh National Opera, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Irish National Opera. This summer, she makes her debut at the Bregenzer Festspiele with a new opera by Irish composer Éna Brennan.
