Prom 4: Brian – Symphony No. 1, 'The Gothic'
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© Tim Cantrell -
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou -
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou -
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou -
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou -
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou
Sunday 17 July
7.00pm – c. 9.00pm
Royal Albert Hall
Choral music and singing events
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Brian
Symphony No. 1 in D minor, 'The Gothic' (110 mins)
- Susan Gritton soprano
- Christine Rice mezzo-soprano, New Generation Artist
- Peter Auty tenor
- Alastair Miles bass
- CBSO Youth Chorus
- Eltham College Boys' Choir
- Southend Boys' and Girls' Choirs
- Bach Choir
- BBC National Chorus of Wales
- Brighton Festival Chorus
- Côr Caerdydd
- Huddersfield Choral Society
- London Symphony Chorus
- BBC Concert Orchestra
- BBC National Orchestra of Wales
- Martyn Brabbins conductor
About this event
Over a thousand performers gathered for a rare performance of Brian’s gargantuan work, ‘The Gothic’.
This season's sequence of Choral Sundays kicks off with arguably the grandest statement in British music, Havergal Brian's 'The Gothic', a gargantuan work that earned an entry in the Guinness Book of Records under 'Longest Symphony'.
Completed in the 1920s but unplayed until 1961, its most famous outing came in 1966, when Sir Adrian Boult presided over a BBC-sponsored rendition at the Royal Albert Hall.
Its Proms debut features not one but two orchestras and a raft of choirs. Even Mahler never contemplated a work on quite this scale, although he too found inspiration in Goethe's Faust.
There will be no interval
Due to the staging and production requirements for 'The Gothic' on Sunday, Prom 4 will have limited Promming capacity. For this Prom we will not sell to the Arena or Gallery day queues until 20 minutes before the concert, subject to availability.
Broadcasts
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Radio
Repeated on BBC Radio 3 14:00 19 July 2011. Listen online for 7 days after broadcast.
Comments
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Events on Sunday 17 July
Find more events
- Evening concerts and events
- Orchestral music
- Brian
- Susan Gritton
- Christine Rice
- Peter Auty
- Alastair Miles
- CBSO Youth Chorus
- Eltham College Boys' Choir
- Southend Boys' and Girls' Choirs
- Bach Choir
- BBC National Chorus of Wales
- Brighton Festival Chorus
- Côr Caerdydd
- Huddersfield Choral Society
- London Symphony Chorus
- BBC Concert Orchestra
- BBC National Orchestra of Wales
- Martyn Brabbins
Comment number 1.
PB-Watford17SSSS MMMMMMMMMMMM 00002011 - 12:July
Congratulations to the Prom organisers for putting on this original and expansive work. However, It is a great pity that the BBC hasn't taken the opportunity to film it, broadcast it and issue it on DVD given the high interest shown in it - i.e. sold out on the first day of booking. There must be many people who couldn't get tickets - including me - who will not be able to share seeing this magnificent spectacle. I'm sure all those lucky enough to be present will be overwhelmed !!
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Comment number 2.
Lang17SSSS MMMMMMMMMMMM 00002011 - 13:July
Yes, I agree with the last poster. It seems to me that the BBC has really missed a great opportunity to make what would have been a wonderful TV event. The last performance was 20 years ago in the Albert Hall, and that wasn't televised either.
I was lucky enough to get a ticket, and I am really looking forward to tonight.
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Comment number 3.
fedupwithbbc17SSSS MMMMMMMMMMMM 00002011 - 14:July
I caught the review on Radio Three this morning and was intrigued. Then I went on line to discover more about this composer I had no knowledge of and my appetite was whetted. Then to discover that the BBC were not even bothering to televise the event, I was lost for words! PB_Watford is right an event that was sold out on the first day of booking surely deserves to be broadcast to a wider audience. When is an event like this going to be repeated again?
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Comment number 4.
janetlightwood17SSSS MMMMMMMMMMMM 00002011 - 15:July
Please can you make it possible to record or download this item?
Link to this (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
somename17SSSS MMMMMMMMMMMM 00002011 - 15:July
To be fair to the BBC I think one factor in not televising the event may be due to space and logistical constraints - this is quite an event to coordinate in the context of an already complex festival and TV cameras on top of everything might be asking too much. Just be thankful you can hear it (by far the most important aspect of a musical performance!) for a week or so.
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Comments 5 of 81