Last Night of the Proms

Tonight marks the final night of the 2012 BBC Proms season: Last Night of the Proms .

Times are as follows:

BBC Two 19:30 - 21:00
BBC One 21:15 - 22:45

During the second half on BBC1, there'll be the usual grand finale. I remember the days when that always included Pomp and Circumstance (Land of Hope and Glory); British Sea Songs (No Place Like Home, Sailor's Hornpipe which got faster and faster), Rule Britannia (all 4 verses) and Jerusalem. For the last few years they've tended to shorten Rule Britannia to one or two verses, and one year (2008, 2009 or 2010 I think) they replaced Sailor's Hornpipe with Portsmouth. I'd like to see the grand finale go back to the traditional line-up really.

I don't like how the BBC are forcing us to watch highlights from all the different parks on the Red Button... even on Sky.

Personally, I just want to see the Hyde Park concert before the finale at the Albert Hall, but BBC Red Button on Sky seems to be restricted to two streams showing highlights from all four concerts.

That's "platform neutrality" in action - they didn't care too much about that when Freeview had 2 streams and Sky had 4-6, but their answer to the complaints about Freeview cutting down to one stream has been to make the service on Sky/Cable equally poor.

I've made my feelings known to the BBC complaints log and I look forward to my bog standard cut and paste reply.

If it's any consolation, all four concerts will be on iPlayer in full "tomorrow". But yes, agree with all the above. Not much fun for people who want to watch one of the other three either. About time they lost the permanent location astons for this kind of thing too, in my opinion.

(They had real problems with the audio on Radio 2 for a minute or so when the gospel choir were on, sounded like the link from the park was playing up - still up but lots of jitter.)

I think the location astons are there for the international viewer purposes... particularly when linking up to the parks for the Last Night finale from the Hall.

We've just had You'll Never Walk Alone . Now for the Fantasia on British Sea Songs .

Normally Land of Hope and Glory comes before Fantasia on British Sea Songs. This time Land of Hope and Glory is afterwards (for your info, I've looked at the programme on the BBC Proms 2012 website).

Now for Sailor's Hornpipe. Expect it to get quicker and quicker.

Really? Is that normal?


And, IIRC, Fantasia on Sea Songs always comes before LoH&G -- the reprise of LoH&G being the last song before the conductor's speech before Jerusalem.

Sailor's Hornpipe has always started slowly and got quicker and quicker at Last Night of the Proms. The last 2 or 3 years I think they've omitted it, I was so glad to see it back tonight.

Also I was so glad to see a full version of Rule Britannia. In recent years they've tended to show, UK wide, a bit of Ar Hy Dy Nos (Wales), Skye Boat Song (Scotland) and Oh Danny Boy (Northern Ireland). I've noticed that, in conjunction with that, they've tended to shorten Rule Britannia to one or two verses, presumably to fit it all in.

It looks like we aren't going to get Ar Hy Dy Nos, Skye Boat Song and Oh Danny Boy at all tonight. Or at least, if they are happening, I guess they'll be confined to the applicable Proms In the Park (Wales, Scotland, N. Ireland) respectively.

Here we go folks with Pomp and Circumstance (Land of Hope and Glory).

Not to forget the deflating balloon.