Photo credit: Mark Allen
(4 / 5)
The BBC Proms are only getting bigger. Yet there are some concerns from this writer. After a few years of trial gigs around the UK, official with the name, it now appears that the whole nation of Wales is not getting anything this year. This puzzles me, as we’ve had events in Cardiff, Newport and beyond. This is a really disappointing blow. What is even more bizarre is the removal of the full Prom schedule getting the numbers removed. This was also so easy when sorting tickets and so on.
In a plunge into the deep end, an all night Prom was an exciting and exhausting endeavour. Not done since the early 80s, this is no small feat and we can thank Anna Lapwood and the efforts of the team, who assembled the whole monster. Breaking into things at 11pm, Anna chose an accessible if somewhat arbitrary set on the grand organ in the hall. Eugène Gigout’s Toccata in B Minor is heavily leaning on JS Bach, though this opener felt like the herald we deserved. Her praise on TikTok has seen a large flowing and this is all fine. Olivia Belli and her Limina luminis evokes the film Interstellar in its sensual minimalism, a vision of an astronaut gazing back at the sight of earth. Choices from Pirates of the Caribbean might be the most typical, though her brief singing and flair in the sea shanties and drinking songs were hard to not enjoy.
In keeping with this merry vibe, Barokksolistene are a Norwegian folk band who excel in evocations of years past in taverns and pubs. We get a broad scan of Western Europe, naturally Scandinavia, Canada and further afield. Director and on violin, Bjarte Eike is leader of ceremonies, a charming silver fox with cheeky humour and some sour political swipes at the UK, its all rather fun. Whether or not musically it was a little twee or me I’m still on the fence about. Though moments of utter beauty shone and dancing beats would be met with movement and panache. Their encore was a phenomenal harmony that greatly touched, an Acapella joy that found real praise from this hungry audience. It would appear that their party continued even into their dressing room.
Anna Lapwood would not be done just yet (far from it!) as she would return to conduct the Pembroke College Chapel Choir. Whilst this was their first performance at the Proms, it would be Anna’s last venture with them after nine years of collaboration. I was impressed by these young singers, some of which Anna pointed out are not even studying music. There was a sensibility and vim out of them. Kerry Andrews opened with a sweet ‘All things are quite silent’, and Anna’s very own ‘Arise, shine’ were conventional in form and clever it their simplicity. I’ve some reservations about Eric Whitacre and his ‘Sleep’, I’ve never found it to be very potent. His novel ‘Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machines’ is trite in some ways, breaking down the artists remarkable inventions in flight. The singers wrap up with winds and whistle noise in a tacky mimicry of these contraptions. Bob Dylan and his ‘Make You Feel My Love’, arranged by Lapwood, sent me over the sickly metre.
Well needed rests were spread throughout the 8 hours. Hayato Sumino from Japan gave an intimate piano recital, as there second set began things got much more intimate. Chopin’s Waltz in E flat and Polonaise are very famous and I found them decent fare. Hayato turned to the also present upright piano and played one of his own: Nocturne II: After Dawn. This slight venture was hushed and perfect on the sombre frame of the upright, its appeal lays in the gentleness. A take on Dance Macabre saw him on both pianos, in this busy arrangement by Liszt and H. Sumino. Lots of the music was fitting, the Dance included, skeletons jigging around the night as the cock’s crowing wraps up the party. The take on Boléro by Ravel was cut in half and less effective. Some percussive ticks and elbow slamming added to the drama of the latter few bars, though I doubt it works as well as its start: the grounding statement. Radiohead’s ‘Everything in Its Right Place’ and Like Spinning Plates ending the session and they were passable, on cello Anastasia Kobekina played in the later and this would tease into her own programme that would shortly follow.
Anastasia’s time here is most certainly my favourite programme. By the time she was on stage it was coming up to 4am, the plucky audience around me has retired for the night and the intimacy would now reach utter concentration. Cherished Bach Cello suits were the mainstay here and I was loving it. Beginning with ‘O fronds virga’ from Saint Hildegard of Bingen, we met the sacred realm, then to stately Bach and Jonny Greenwood’s Postcard. The latter was written in lockdown and is so slight and under character, it is fifty seconds of cluttering string contact of little note. Vladimir Kobekin and his Narrenschiff (Ship of Fools) was the most theatrical and alarming. Dark and filled with mystery it stood out for its utter invention. I believe I recall Pēteris Vasks and his Grāmata čellam (The Book) – Pianissimo causing a stir in a concert in Cardiff with another cellist years ago. Most likely due to the actual vocalise of the player as well as cello playing simultaneously. Beautiful in its creation, unfettered by compilation it is a brief moment that glimmered. More Bach suites for the pot aligned with Boccherini’s Fandango, with foot stomping and cries aloud. Fabulous musicianship.
After this I began to falter, it had been at least five hours. String group 12 Ensemble were next and they kept some of the programme from their concert at Wigmore Hall the other week. I think the audience struggled with the demands of ‘Many Fruited Dog Tooth’ from Isabella Gellis. Having its world premiere at Wigmore (and this night its Proms debut) this oddly moss inspired near fifteen minutes was a slog, its chirpy and hushed tones would not aid this sleep deprived audience. Edmund Finnis in the Hymn, after William Byrd was effective and stimulating. Oliver Leith’s ‘Full like drips’ from Honey Siren and Oliver Coates’ One Without’ from the film Aftersun were the alluring pieces to win us over in their sincerity. I was not expecting to hear Olivier Messiaen on this night and his ‘Prière du Christ montant vers son Père from L’ascension wrapped up their time with subtle intensity.
My face was falling off after this, I had crashed and the ample caffeine intake was intense. A man who had travelled from Chicago remarked how “crazy” it was I was drinking coffee so late. No doubt, coffee sales on the night were a success too. A touch of diversity with Seckou Keita from Senegal would continue as the penultimate act. On kora, he plays the harp sounding instrument with a fluid melodic ambience. It’s pleasant, yet I wouldn’t say I was nourished by it. The singing is charming, as well feel the heat and the whimsy of his homeland. On percussion Mohamed Gueye added textures to the fray though was not heard enough, his time brief yet energised. 12 Ensemble would pop back for a finale flourish in ‘Future Strings’ to delight his send off.
It would be fitting that this colossal concert would wrap up with an artist called Sleeping At Last. Hailing from Chicago, Ryan O’Neal got to the piano and most of the musicians from the night joined him to the climatic end. These are songs which are noble and insightful, yet they lacked any real punch. His vocals impress in typical soul and pop fashion and the songs written about the twelve personality types is inspired. Simple songs names such as ‘Nine’, ‘North’, ‘Touch’ and ‘Sight’ are a choice and one which seems to fit. This could have easily been Sam Smith or other pop stars I’ve lost the names of at present. Somewhat anticlimactic, the audience had given standing ovations for some of the acts, yet here appeared simply too tired to do one last time.
Extensibly, a concert that will go down in history, though the idea won’t see the light of day for quite some time.
Listen on BBC Sounds now.