The Last Night Of The Proms Accordion Tangos Brought The Season To A Close With A Bang.
Key Sentence:
- This may be her first visit to the Prom, but accordionist Ksenia Sidorova stole the show at the Last Night concert.
- Latvian musician Listortango from Astor Piazzolla lifted the bustling Royal Albert Hall with expression and a strong spirit.
This happened amid various concerts that also paid tribute to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Oramo noted that elsewhere in the world, people's freedom to make and enjoy music is currently "threatened and denied" and concludes that having an audience on the last night of the party is very special from all of us as we celebrate the healing power and spirit of music."
Sakari Oramo
Caption Conductor Sakari Oramo led the 28th ball - and fifth last night
Graduates wearing crowns, bow ties, hats, and a combination of EU and Union flags are primarily enthusiastic, especially after missing the 2020 season.
They paced the Sailor's Hornpipe and sang Land Of Hope And Glory at the top of their necks. And when Oramo paid homage to Sir Henry Wood, founder, and conductor of the Prom, in 1895, one in the audience pointed to the statue of Wood at the back of the hall and shouted, "He's behind you!"
World premiere
The concert opened with the new order "Mother" by Iranian-American composer Giti Razaz. A restless symphonic work with extensive percussion depicting the healing power of nature in the chaos of modern life. Before the premiere, Razaz said he hoped to capture the "beautiful splendor of our nature" in a way that "encourages us to take more serious and proactive steps to protect our planet."
The program also includes a heartbreaking new arrangement of Barber's Adagio For Strings for the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Jonathan Manners' new setting is quite dark and disturbing, adding Barber's 1961 choral writing to Agnus Dei's Latin text: "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us [and] grant us peace."
In an eye-catching sequin jacket, Australian tenor Stuart Skelton provided relaxation with a lively performance of Iain Farrington's I Still Call Australia Home. He then leads the audience to Rule's traditional chorus, Britannia! Wearing complete Australian cricket outfit.