Arts, Culture & Entertainment E: kensington@myvillage.co.uk

Arts & Entertainment
Cinema
Museums & Galleries
Performance & Theatre
Local Authors & Books

Arts & Entertainment
Royal Albert Hall

Contacts
What's On: December 2001/ January & February 2002
News - Sombre Last Night of the Proms - 17/09/01
History of Royal Albert Hall
Hire the Hall -
(for that special birthday party, Barmitzvah ... solo concert?)
The Proms

Contacts

Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore
London SW7 2AP

box office: The Box Office at Door 7, on the West side of the main entrance opposite Kensington Gardens, is open 9.00am to 9.00pm seven days a week. Bookings may be made in person or by telephoning 020 7589 8212. Mastercard, American Express, Switch and Visa are welcomed. On postal and telephone orders an administration charge of £2.75 per booking is made (irrespective of the number of tickets purchased).

for more information visit the Royal Albert Hall website

 

Proms Season 2001

BBC Proms
20 July - 15 September 2020

Proms 2001 continues to explore the highest quality of music and music-making both new and old, looking particularly to innovate and challenge, while adhering to the ideal of the Proms: to bring musical excellence to as wide an audience as possible.

Visits by great orchestras from abroad are especially plentiful in 2001, offering performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Bernard Haitink and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim, who also appears as pianist. Other distinguished visitors include the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra with Vladimir Ashkenazy, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra with Herbert Blomstedt, the Orchestre de Paris with Christoph Eschenbach, the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra with Yuri Temirkanov, and the Kirov Orchestra with Valery Gergiev. Günter Wand, one of the world's most respected interpreters of Bruckner and the Austro-German Romantic repertoire, makes a welcome return to the Proms at the head of Hamburg's NDR Symphony Orchestra.

Acclaimed for its dedicated patronage of new music, the Proms presents 10 BBC commissions this season, with 11 other world, UK or London premieres. The range of new works extends from the world premieres of large scale compositions by James MacMillan, Alexander Goehr and Sir John Tavener to Sir Harrison Birtwistle's latest composition for brass ensemble. Young composers Julian Philips and Ian Wilson make their Proms debuts with new works for orchestra, while New Yorker Tobias Picker's Cello Concerto receives its first performance with Paul Watkins as soloist.

Every Prom is broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, with regular weekday afternoon repeats. All concerts will also be streamed online via the Radio 3 website (www.bbc.co.uk/radio3).

Proms in the Park, which takes the Last Night party atmosphere beyond the Royal Albert Hall, is being held in more venues around the UK than ever before. As well as London's Hyde Park, concerts take place in Liverpool and Gateshead, and at the newly opened Eden Project in Cornwall, all with the Last Night big-screen link-up.

Booking for the 107th season opens on Monday 21 May for postal and fax booking. Telephone booking opens on Friday 15 June.

Postal Booking
BBC Proms
Box Office
Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore
London SW7 2AP

Fax Booking
020 7581 9311

Telephone Booking (opens 15 June)
020 7589 8212

In Person Booking (opens 15 June)
from Door 9, Royal Albert Hall
9.00am-9.00pm Daily

for full programme visit the BBC Website

 

News: Sombre Last Night of the Proms - 17/09/01

The promenaders experienced a sombre Last Night on Saturday, after the events in the US put everyone in a more contemplative mood. For once the Union Jack was joined by the Stars and Stripes, both inside the Royal Albert Hall and at open air events around the country.

The usually buoyant celebration was toned down in the wake of Tuesday's terror attacks on the US. Patriotic anthems such as Rule, Britannia! and Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance were abandoned in favour of more reflective pieces. And concert-goers joined in a minute's silence for the attack victims.

The Last Night was conducted by an American for the first time, with BBC symphony orchestra chief conductor Leonard Slatkin in charge.

Mr Slatkin addressed the audience both before and after the performance thanking them for their support for the US. He said the orchestra had quickly realised that the attacks meant this year's performance would have to be different. He said:

"One thing became very clear to us, that the very special nature of the Last Night of the Proms for this night would not be the same.

"What was to be a celebration of the new - me - and the traditions - you - would have to be put aside for a moment. American Leonard Slatkin thanked the audience for its support

"We use music tonight to express all the emotions we all feel."

More than 6,000 people packed the Royal Albert Hall in London for the performance which was shown in more than 40 countries across the world. Thousands of people also watched the concert in live links to events around the country, in Gateshead, Cornwall, Liverpool and London's Hyde Park.

US Attacks Affect Proms - 14/09/01The terrorist attacks on the the US have led to the organisers of the Last Night of the Proms to rethink their programme, moving away from the usual rabble-rousing anthems towards more reflective pieces.

There were also reports that the organisers were to ban the traditional flag-waving amongst the promenaders, but now the official stance is that flags will be allowed to be waved, but they should be flags of all nations rather than just Union Jacks.

By coincidence the programme had been due to feature John Adams's Short Ride In A Fast Machine which was pulled from the Last Night once before, following the death of Diana, Princess Of Wales. Another Adams piece, his fanfare Tromba Lontana, will take its place. Other substitutes will be Barber's Adagio for Strings, Tippett's A Child Of Our Time and the choral finale from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

Nicholas Kenyon, director of the BBC Proms, said: " We feel it is vital to respond to people's mood at this sombre and difficult time, and at the same time to show that music can affirm our shared humanity."

There is also uncertainty about the appearance of American mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade who is stranded in the States. The Last Night is being conducted by an American for the first time, Leonard Slatkin. He said today: " I am honoured to be doing the Last Night. Maybe more than ever."

London university to offer degree in the proms - 19/04/01
The patriotic flag-waving of the last night of the Proms is to be studied as part of a new university degree, in which students will learn about the music, history and culture of Britain's most famous musical event.
read more

What's On: December 2001/ January & February 2002
December
10 Paul Weller

11 Jose Carreras & Elaine Paige

12 Paul Weller

13 Christmas Carols With The Stars

14 A Sargent Christmas Cracker

15 The Bach Choir Family Carols

15 Messiah

16 Classic Carols

16 The Glory of Christmas

17 Royal Choral Society Christmas Carols

18 King's College Choir

19 The BT Christmas Concert

20 A Gospel Christmas

21 Messiah

22 Christmas Carol Singalong

22 Christmas Choral Gala

23 White Christmas

23-24 Carols by Candlelight

31 Tweenies - Live! The Christmas Present

January
1-6 Tweenies - Live! The Christmas Present

11-12 Joaquin Cortes

13 The Sleeping Beauty - The St . Petersburg Ballet Theatre

February

1 Embrace

5 Marti Pellow & Guests - Teenage Cancer Concert Series

6 Oasis & Guests - Teenage Cancer Trust Concert Series

7-8 The Who & Guests - Teenage Cancer Trust Concert Series

9 Paul Weller Big Band & Guests - Teenage Cancer Trust Concert Series

12 Grand Prix Charity Concert

14-16 Mountbatten Festival of Music

21-28 Carmen

Bookings may be made in person or by telephoning 020 7589 8212
(for details see listings info above)

Details of individual concerts are available at the Royal Albert Hall website

What's On - archive of 2001

 

History of Royal Albert Hall

Following the success of the Great Exhibition of 1851 (the world’s first international ‘Expo’), the Hall was conceived by Albert, the Prince Consort, as the centrepiece of the proposed development of a range of national institutions - cultural, scientific and academic - that for the first time would be located on a single site.

As a first step towards the realisation of the Prince’s masterplan, a 50 acre estate in South Kensington was bought from the substantial profits made by the Exhibition. By the end of the 19th century the area had been transformed and today embraces not only the Hall but the Victoria and Albert, Science and Natural History Museums, Imperial College, the Royal Colleges of Music and Art and the Royal Geographical Society: a living monument to the vision and inspiration of the Prince and his contemporaries. Prince Albert died suddenly in 1861 before much of the site was occupied. But by that time the overall concept had firmly taken root.

Plans for a ‘Great Central Hall’ were taken forward by the very eminent Victorian, Henry Cole, with whom the Prince had worked on other major public building projects. Under the terms of a Royal Charter of 1867, a ‘Corporation’ was established to ‘build and maintain’ the ‘Hall of Arts and Sciences’ (to which Royal Albert was soon added). Construction began that year and was completed in 1871, when the Hall was formally opened in the presence of HM Queen Victoria, the late Prince’s devoted widow.

The magnificent frieze that encircles the building succinctly describes its purpose: ‘This Hall was erected for the Advancement of the Arts and Sciences, and works of industry of all nations, in fulfillment of the intentions of Albert, Prince Consort’.

Those objectives reflect the terms of the Royal Charter under which the Hall was founded, and (together with a number of Acts of Parliament) continue to be regulated. As well as providing, on a 999 year lease at nominal cost, the land on which the Hall stands, the Royal Commission for the 1851 Exhibition - which continues as the Hall’s ‘landlord’ - also made a substantial donation towards the overall cost of its construction, forecast at £200,000. The remainder of the initial funding was made up by the sale of some 1,300 of the original 7,000 seats in the Auditorium, at a charge of £100 per seat. These ‘permanent’ seats remain largely in private or corporate hands, the seatholders being the Members of the Corporation of the Hall.

 

Hiring the Hall

The Albert Hall has been described as the nation's town hall. Why not book it for your own event ... that solo performance you've always wanted to make ... go on, you know you're worth it.

The Royal Albert Hall provides a unique venue in the heart of London for every kind of event. Situated opposite Kensington Gardens and close to world-class hotels and the exclusive shops of Knightsbridge, it is easily accessible by tube, bus, car or on foot.

Its 5000 seat auditorium provides a combination of intimacy and grandeur which, together with its sense of history, make it a favourite amongst performers and audiences.

The Hall is available for hire by event organisers and commercial promoters and offers a package of facilities and services designed to ensure that each event meets its full potential.

For further information please contact the Head of Sales on 020 7589 3203,
Fax 020 7823 7725 or email sales@royalalberthall.com

 




Features

News, Exhibitions & Events
December
Science Museum's £75m new look
November
Free Entry Boosts Museum Visitors by 250%
W11 Children's Opera - Flying High
October
New British Galleries at the V&A;
Public artist, private passions:The World of Edward Linley Sambourne
100% Design
Curves In All the Right Places at the V&A
September
Adelaide Hall by Iain Cameron Williams
Vivienne Westwood Sale at Christies
Local Buildings in London Open House
August
MyVillage interview Olly & Suzy
July
Proms 2001

Features
Opera at Holland Park Open Air Theatre 2001
Albert Hall to open for day visits and tours
London University to offer degree in the proms
Charitable Verdi Routs the Sceptics Requiem
Russell Watson Triumphs At the Classical Brits
Japan 2001 in the heart of Hyde Park

 

London Arts & Entertainment

November
London Film Festival
London Jazz Festival

October
New British Galleries at the V&A;

September
Frank Auerbach at the Royal Academy of Arts
London Open House weekend
Dan Flavin at the Serpentine Gallery
Katherina Fritsch at Tate Modern
August
Kids Week in the West End
Isamu Noguchi at the Design Museum
July
Discover Sir John Soane's Museum