Igor Toronyi-Lalic

BBC Proms

Bruch’s Violin Concerto, Holst’s The Planets, Colin Matthews’ 2,765th Proms piece, a Strictly Come Dancing prom, a Shakespeare theme... It’s programming on autopilot

issue 30 April 2016

BBC Proms 2016 is about as exciting as my sock drawer. But it’s unclear who exactly is to blame. The new head David Pickard claims only half the stalest socks are his — the rest inherited.

The festival enjoys an incredibly privileged position. Some might even say it’s dangerously spoilt. Free from commercial pressures, free from government interference, an entire TV and radio network at its propagandistic disposal, the two-month summer blowout is a mighty musical monopoly. It can do what it wants with pretty much whomever it wants.

Last year it dedicated a night to Eric Whitacre, the Noel Edmonds of contemporary music, and hosted an Ibiza prom 20 years after everyone stopped caring about Ibiza.

Fine. We allow the Proms this freedom so that, alongside its more obvious duties, it can act as an incubator for innovation.

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