The Last Night of the Proms 2005
The big annual party at the Royal Albert Hall, at Proms in the Park and in 8 other cities across the UK, takes place on Saturday, 10th September.

Every year the Royal Albert Hall resounds to the sounds of Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Britannia and Jerusalem roared out by the audience and accompanied by the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

People who would never dream of watching or going to a concert of classical music watch it on television. It's an opportunity for the British, and particularly the English, to show the rest of the world that we can be unbuttoned, eccentric and openly enjoy ourselves. We don't even mind that some people are waving flags from other nations instead of the Union Jack or the English Cross of St George—it all adds to the fun.

For the first time, the counter-tenor voice will be heard as part of the Last Night celebrations, with Andreas Scholl singing favourites by Handel and Purcell in the Royal Albert Hall, whilst John Williams is soloist for the ever-popular Concierto de Aranjuez.

As well as marking the centenary of Henry Wood's Fantasia on British Sea-Songs with the reintroduction of his original bugle calls, BBC Proms in the Park celebrates its own 10th anniversary with audiences in nine locations for the biggest finale party ever.

Proms in the Park
Over the past 10 years, Proms in the Park has established itself as an integral part of the traditional Last Night of the Proms celebrations and, in total, almost a million people have passed through the gates at venues across the country.The idea of holding an additional Prom in Hyde Park to complement the events going on in the Royal
Albert Hall was born out of a wish to extend the magic of the Last Night of the Proms to the widest possible audience.The event has since grown to be a nationwide extravaganza with up to five cities taking part at a time,
plus a family event in Hyde Park on the Sunday. This year, there will again be events in London, Belfast, Swansea, Glasgow and Manchester, plus even more opportunities to join in via the BBC Big Screens in cities
including Liverpool, Hull and Birmingham.

In Hyde Park, the celebrations are led by world-class tenor Andrea Bocelli and the 2004 BBC Young Musician of the Year winner, violinist Nicola Benedetti. They join Carl Davis and the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform some of the nation’s best-loved music. Terry Wogan once again hosts the evening’s entertainment with the Royal Choral Society leading the singing.

Celebrations begin in the late afternoon when Radio 2’s Ken Bruce presents entertainment including Queen tribute band Gary Mullen and the Works and swing classics from the BBC Big Band. The Hyde Park festivities continue on Sunday 11 September with the BBC Family Prom in the Park: Around the World in 80 Minutes with Blue Peter. Blue Peter presenters Konnie Huq and Matt Baker take the audience on a worldwide musical journey in celebration of the centenary of author Jules Verne and his fantasy Around the World in 80 Days. On stage the BBC Concert Orchestra performs along with artists from around the world and there is spectacular footage on the big screens to set the scene.A spectacular finale for the event comes in the form of a special appearance by a surprise VIP guest, literally the biggest guest ever seen at Proms in the Park...

Tickets
Although obtaining tickets for the Last Night of the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall is virtually impossible now, you can still buy them for the Proms in the Park.

BBC Proms in the Park, London - Saturday 10th September
Hyde Park. Gates open 4.00pm; entertainment on stage from 5.30pm
Tickets: £20 (under-3s free)

Telephone booking: 0870 899 8100 (24 hrs national rate, £2.25 transaction fee applicable)
and from the Royal Albert Hall on 020 7589 8212 (9.00am-9.00pm, £2.25 transaction fee applicable) or online.

Information from the BBC.