Last Night Of The Proms joins Catrin Finch

Wales' contribution to the annual celebration of flag waving, Land Of Hope And Glory Britishness, Last Night Of The Proms will feature harpist Catrin Finch, alongside the Three Welsh Tenors.

While the Albert Hall rocks to the strains of Rule Britannia, Swansea's Singleton Park on Saturday 11 September will be being lulled by Finch and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales performing John Rutter's Suite Lyrique.
Finch said, "What a fantastic chance to perform in such a prestigious Welsh event and to be joining so many other talented performers to celebrate the world famous Last Night of the Proms."
"It will be a thrilling and moving experience to perform at this live outdoor event. Following the tour to Amsterdam with BBC National Orchestra of Wales this August, I am delighted to be joining forces with them once again in Swansea at Proms in the Park."
The evening will also feature the newly formed Three Welsh Tenors Rhys Meirion, Aled Hall and Alun Rhys Jenkins. They will perform the aria Nessun Dorma.
Local mixed choir Swansea Bach Choir will perform the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco by the Italian Romantic composer Verdi.
The event will be presented by singer and BBC Radio Wales presenter Aled Jones and conducted by Grant Llewellyn, a regular with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Part of the evening will be an attempt to form the largest ever operatic chorus, with the crowd, to sing the Bridal Chorus from Wagner's Lohengrin and the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic You'll Never Walk Alone.

In Yeovil Rotary's Last Night of the Proms

THE Rotary Club of Yeovil is hoping to fill all 600 seats of the town’s Octagon Theatre for a Last Night of the Proms Concert on September 3.
The British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra the concert will be performed and is to raise money for the Yeovil Young Achievers Trust.
The trust aims to help young people from the area achieve higher standards in education, sport, the arts and citizenship.

The concert starts at 7.45pm and tickets, costing £24.50, are available on 01460-240984, sponsors Old Mill on 01935-426181, or the Octagon on 01935-422884.

At the Last Night of the Proms Local singers’ opportunity to join Lesley Garrett

CALLING all singers from Perth and Kinross!
BBC Scotland is giving some 200 aspiring singers the opportunity to appear on stage with opera diva Lesley Garrett as part of the celebrations of the Last Night of the Proms in Dundee.
The particularly created Dundee Proms Chorus will be one of the highlights of the event in the Caird Hall on September 11, alongside Lesley Garret and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Broadcast live on TV and recorded for BBC Radio, this all new home grown choir will perform songs from some classic musicals and showpieces from some of the great operas and will lead the audience in a link nup to the Royal Albert Hall live on BBC 1, and other venues across the UK.
For those who would like to be part of the Dundee Proms Chorus, BBC Scotland is running a series of fun workshops, open to all aspiring singers over the age of 16.
Led by choir trainer Anna Flannagan, there will be six rehearsal sessions leading up to the big night, as well as a full dress rehearsal with the orchestra and company.
No previous experience of singing is required and all the songs will be taught by ear for those who can’t read music. All interested applicants should contact dundeepromschorus@bbc.co.uk or write to Proms Chorus Administrator, Zone 3.08, BBC Scotland, 40 Pacific Quay, Glasgow, G51 1DA. Applications must be received before Friday, July 30.
This is the first time that the Proms have visited Dundee, bringing some of the magic associated with the Last Night, but with a distinctly Scottish flavour. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra provides the musical backbone for the night, providing accompaniment to one of Britain’s most popular classical singers, soprano Lesley Garrett, conducted by Scottish conductor Garry Walker.
Tickets for the event are now available, and to bring the real bohemian spirit of the Proms to Dundee, there will be a choice of standing ‘promenade’ tickets in the stalls area with a limited number of seated tickets in the balcony.

Get your flags ready for a night at the proms

Rule Britannia, 1812 and other stirring favourites will chime out at Diss Park tomorrow evening for Diss’ very own night at the proms.

Proms In The Park, organised by Diss and District Rotary Club is a free evening of music that has been a tradition in the town for many years, offering families a fun and relaxed night out.

The evening starts at 6pm with the first music coming from the Norfolk Fellowship Brass, a band which is full of highly skilled retired musicians of the Salvation Army.

The band, which formed in 2002, was originally set up to have fun and encourage fellowship, but the quality of their music has lead to them being in demand throughout the region.

Then, as has been the tradition since the resurrection of Diss Carnival in 2008, the 2010 Carnival Queen, Annabel Oakes, will be crowned at about 7.30pm for her big day the following day.

The South Norfolk Youth Symphonic Band (SNYSB) then take to the stage to begin with a performance of songs from the stage and big screen.

They then end the night with a typically stirring performance of proms favourites.

SNYSB’s musical director Mike Booty said; “For the last five years we’ve done this Proms In The Park.

“It is a free evening and a good night out - if it doesn’t rain like it did last year!

“But even then the audience showed true British grit and stuck with it.”

The audience often bring picnics and drinks, with champagne and sandwiches on the menu for many in the past.

And for those who come empty handed, there will be a bar and a barbecue available.

Mr Booty said his 60-strong band has members aged eight up to their early 20s and with the group playing upwards of 30 concerts per year, is well drilled when it comes to live performance.

“As well as the usual Union Flags, I am expecting a lot of St George flags because of the World Cup.”

For anyone who is struggling to remember the words for the stirring proms favourites that bring the evening to a close, they are all printed in the programme.

During the interval a prize draw takes place with top prizes including a 32-inch high definition television and a microwave.

Money raised from programmes and the draw will go to Diss Rotary Club charities.

The event, sponsored by the Diss branch of Bennetts, is due to finish at about 9.30pm.

Diss Carnival takes place on Sunday starting at 12.30pm with morris dancing in Market Place.

The Last Night of the Proms Tickets are available online on GigSport.

Last Night Of The Proms : Wave your flag on Proms night

EAST Grinstead will play host to its very own last night of the Proms soon.

Chequer Mead will become the Land Of Hope And Glory on Saturday, June 26, when the massed voices of East Grinstead Choral Society combine with a fantastic soprano soloist and the angelic choristers of St Peter's School for the rousing show.

Flag-waving and enthusiastic audience participation is encouraged in an exciting programme that also includes such stirring anthems as Rule Britannia and Jerusalem, and Chilcott's Little Jazz Mass.

The show starts at 7.30pm.

The Last Night At The Proms Tickets are available online on GigSport.com or call 0844 477 9950.

Cash shortage hits Glasgow city festivals

Two of Glasgow's main summer events will not take place this year due to a shortage of funding.

The BBC Proms in the Park - scheduled for September in Glasgow Green - will not go ahead in the city after problems in obtaining sponsorship.

BBC Scotland understands organisers are in discussions to take the event to an indoor venue in Dundee.

It follows news last month that the annual River Festival would not go ahead due to "budget constraints".

BBC Proms in the Park events have been sponsored in recent years by National Savings and Investments.

That deal has ended, however, meaning organisers of events outside London - in Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast - are having to rework plans.

A spokesman for BBC Scotland said: "We've decided to hold this year's Last Night of the Proms concert at a different venue which we'll be announcing shortly."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said the authority would be "concerned" if the event was lost.

He said: "We have provided substantial financial and logistical support since BBC Proms in the Park first came to the city, helping to ensure that the event was free to the people of Glasgow.

"Clearly, we would be disappointed if this important fixture in Glasgow's cultural calendar is to be lost to us this year."

The decision not to go ahead with this year's River Festival was confirmed last month by Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.

Chief executive Scott Taylor said the budget would be rolled over to 2011 to coincide with the launch of the new Riverside Museum which will house the city's transport collection.

"All of our partners have had to take a tough decision regarding the River Festival but it makes absolute sense to combine our resources and budgets to ensure the opening of the Riverside Museum is an outstanding success for Glasgow and Scotland," he said.

Last Night of the Proms at Selby Abbey

BEAUTIFUL voices and sweet music will raise Selby Abbey roof when the district council chairman's Proms concert is held later this month.

Coun Ian Chilvers will welcome the Sherburn Sinfionetta and York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir to entertain the abbey audience on March 20 from 6.30pm.Ian (pictured) said: "Money will be raised for charity and the audience will be able to join in singing Rule Britannia and Jerusalem, among others."This is always a well-attended and exciting concert, and I encourage everyone to come along."

The chairman will hold a concert at the abbey on May 8 to raise funds for Help for Heroes