Last Night of the Proms

I've just watched (and listened to) the Last Night Of the Proms concert on TV. There is just something special about this event. The enthusiasm of the audience (although it's more like a crowd now) with all the flags and hats is more like a football match than a classical music concert. It stirs my British soul in a way a football match never could (not the way England play anyhow, though maybe if we lifted the world cup again one day.....)

Land of Hope and Glory always makes me think of the Second World War, Jerusalem makes me think of the three years I sent at a very traditional Grammar School in England and God Save the Queen makes me want to stand up and salute (although like 90% of the British population I can't remember the words after the first verse).

The interesting thing is how internationally popular something so very British and blatantly nationalistic can be. As well as flags from the UK, British terretories and former colonies, there were French flags, German flags and I think an Icelandic flag (or it could have been Norwegian). I guess this is because the nationalism comes from pride in ones country and musical heritage, rather than a 'we're better then you' attitude.

Still if singing along to God Save The Queen at the Proms creates too much of a stuffy feeling of the Old British Empire you can always go along to The Sex Pistols reunion gig on November 8th. and here a very different vesion....