Flag waving, silly hats, patriotic singing, witty banter and glorious music provided an uplifting experience at Last Night At The Proms at the Congress Theatre on Sunday.
This special concert celebrated many of 2013’s anniversaries, including the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, the 200th anniversary of Verdi and Wagner’s birth, the 150th birthday of the London Underground and 40 years since ABBA had their first hit.
The British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, under guest conductor Fraser Goulding and leader Jeff Moore, gave their usual high level of performance, as did international soloists Anna-Clare Monk and Andrew Forbes Lane.
Charming soprano Monk and talented tenor Forbes Lane were introduced by larger-than-life presenter Mark Langley, who rounded off his joke telling, poems and chat with an amusing rendition of Brush Up Your Shakespeare.
The British Philharmonic got the balance just right. The purists were treated to classics from Rossini, Verdi, Bizet and Novello, while modern music enthusiasts were well catered for with an ABBA medley and a concert selection from Oliver.
It was a joyous, fun-packed evening and the audience joined in enthusiastically with Land Of Hope And Glory, Rule Britannia, The Happy Wanderer, Jerusalem and many more.
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