• Swindon & Wiltshire Culture
• Thursday April 25 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Bristol to host classical music extravaganza The Proms

Bristol is to host the world-renowned classical music extravaganza The Proms.

Bristol Beacon will host four concerts over the August bank holiday weekend as part of the BBC’s Proms Across the UK.

The programme includes The Virtuous Circle, an immersive experience with Paraorchestra performing Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 from memory and combining with dancers in an array of choreographic formations. Audience members are encouraged to wander among the musicians, who will be on the floor of the auditorium rather than onstage.

BBC Singers at 100, celebrating the centenary of the BBC Singers, who will perform a selection of a cappella masterpieces including Tavener’s Song for Athene and Britten’s A Shepherd’s Carol, led by chief conductor Sofi Jeannin (pictured).

Evelyn Glennie plays Jennifer Higdon, in which the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor Kirill Karabits perform Tchaikovsky’s heart-on-sleeve Symphony No. 5, alongside Jennifer Higdon’s flamboyant Percussion Concerto with soloist Evelyn Glennie.

And CBeebies Prom: Ocean Adventure. Conductor Kwamé Ryan, the Southbank Sinfonia and children’s TV presenter Andy Day come together for a fun-filled CBeebies musical ocean adventure for all the family.

Todd Wills, artistic director at Bristol Beacon, said: “Being able to play host to the iconic BBC Proms is an enormous honour for us.

“Our beautifully transformed auditorium now offers some of the best acoustics of any venue in the UK, so to be able to use it for the greatest classical music festival in the world is an absolute dream come true.

“Part of our mission in our building’s once-in-a-generation transformation was to be able to offer an expanded orchestral programme, which is something we know our audiences want – we’ve seen unprecedented demand with sold out performances for our last three orchestral concerts.

“We are also determined to make our programme affordable and accessible for as many people as possible.

“The Proms brings with it fantastic exposure and focus to encourage people who might be new to going to live orchestral concerts, and the £8 ‘Promming’ tickets mean that price isn’t a barrier for people wanting to attend.”

The BBC Proms was established in 1895 by founder-conductor Henry Wood with an aim to bring the best in classical music to the widest possible audience, which remains the aim today. The concerts offer something for everyone over an eight-week period, with 90 concerts – 73 at the Royal Albert Hall and 17 at venues across the UK. The Proms has always showcased new music, and this year includes 24 premieres and BBC commissions / co-commissions.

The 2024 BBC Proms will run from Friday 19 July to Saturday 14 September. For those unable to get tickets to experience the concerts live, every note will be broadcast on Radio 3and BBC Sounds, and 24 programmes will be available to watch on TV and BBC iPlayer.

The concerts will be open for booking on Saturday, May 18.