British music prom

To Town Hall for Unison meeting about discrimination at shortlisting stage. To the Albert Hall to queue for prom. Given a numbered place so able to go to Royal College of Music for chat between Stephen Johnson, Piers Burton-Page (he used to come to Southfields library) and Rob Cowan about British music. Bax Tintagel for the Proms and Malcolm Arnold! The importance of hearing music live rather than just on CD was stressed and promming proved this. I was lucky to get a chair in the arena - pays to come early! I chatted to a nice man who had heard the Moeran Symphony performed. I did not know it but loved it! The Finzi Grand Fantasia and toccata for piano and orchestra was another unknown and ideal for the Proms. Best of all was Elgar 2 which was very moving - I felt goosebumps. Vasily Sinaisky conducted the BBC Philharmonic. On return home (452 and train straight away at Battersea Park) found only Moeran recorded on HDD!

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