Posted on 22 July 2011
This year’s BBC Proms have begun at the Royal Albert Hall with a host of performers and composers from all over the world. There is something for everyone to enjoy at this extraordinary array of concerts, and we’ve picked out two which may be of special interest to supporters of the Fund.
Tenor John Mark Ainsley, whose performance at A Date to Remember opened up the Fund’s 90 Years: 90 Big Ideas campaign to celebrate our 90th anniversary year, will be performing on 14 August. He will be singing the Spring Symphony, a recreation of a Britten concert which is being given a contemporary twist by composer Joby Talbot.
On the last night of the Proms, 10 September, a new work by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queens Music and the Fund’s President, will be given its first outing. Commissioned by the Musicians Benevolent Fund, the piece is entitled Musica Benevolens, and has been written to thank the Promenader’s Musical Charities for their long-term support of the Fund, as well as to celebrate the Fund’s 90th birthday. Thanks to the generosity of the Proms audiences in 2010, the Promenader’s Musical Charity helped to raise a record £40,000 for the Musicians Benevolent Fund.
The 2011 season was launched with a startling new work by Judith Weir: Stars, Night, Music and Light. The season's Last Night will be set ablaze with Maxwell Davies' Musica Benevolents which will include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Chorus and a group of military trumpeters. Promenaders will be invited to take part too.
Now in its 117th year, The BBC Proms aims to showcase the widest range of music possible. Each year there are more than 75 main concerts and other numerous events. Whilst showcasing international performers, the Proms also includes the best from the British music scene. Each season, the BBC commissions a number of new works which offer audiences the chance to hear the latest in musical trends, as well as creating a unique platform for dozens of contemporary composers.
For more information please visit the BBC Proms website