Celebrate a great British tradition and embrace the spirit of this magical evening.
One of the most popular classical music concerts in the world, the Last Night of the Proms is watched and listened to by an audience of millions around the globe. Tradition met high jinks in 2010 as Ji Blohlvek conducted his second Last Night, while the spirit of Henry Wood presided, as always, over the grand finale of the BBC Proms. Rene Fleming lends her lustrous soprano to music by Strauss, Dvok and Smetana.
A festive new piece by Jonathan Dove opens the evening; brilliant young viola player Maxim Rysanov gives Tchaikovsky's popular cello variations a new voice; a contemporary hornpipe forms an upbeat to anniversary composer Arne's Rule, Britannia!, while traces of the season's Wood, Parry, Wagner, Rodgers and Hammerstein and opera themes run throughout the concert. Plus, Kiri Te Kanawa sings Puccini's 'O mio babbino caro' from Proms in the Park in Hyde Park.