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Last broadcast on Fri, 17 Jul 2009, 20:10 on BBC Radio 3.
Synopsis
A behind-the-scenes peek at the process of moving pianos onto the stage of the Royal Albert Hall during the BBC Proms - and what can go wrong.
A Victorian building, live broadcasts, large audiences, hot television lights, world-class performers and instruments each worth in the region of 100,000 pounds all add to the pressure on the team moving multiple pianos at the Proms. Various people involved in the extensive preparations that hopefully ensure a glitch-free night share the secrets of their trade.
Nothing fazes Julian Rout, the specialist piano removal company that moves 15,000 pianos each year. But Proms co-ordinator at the Royal Albert Hall Jacqui Kelly is having sleepless nights despite the minute-by-minute plans she has been making.
Ulrich Gerhartz deals with the challenge of matching and preparing four pianos and ensuring that they stay in top condition throughout the Proms season - but even when he turns up at the Royal Albert Hall for a quiet session at dawn, he finds a cohort of vacuum cleaners already hard at work.
Broadcast
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Fri 17 Jul 200920:10
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