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Prom like a pro

Always wanted to ‘Prom’, but terrified of clapping at the wrong moment? Casually drop these nine facts into conversation and you'll sound like a proper expert on the BBC Proms

Written by
Time Out London Music
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© Chris Christodoulou

Beginning in 1895 and this year boasting 76 concerts, the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall (along with 8 chamber music recitals at Chelsea’s Cadogan Hall) is the longest-running classical music concert series in the world. Take that, Germany’s Salzburg Festival, a mere whippersnapper founded in 1920. Pah!

In addition to the regular homegrown British orchestras and world class soloists (Sol Gabetta, Juan Diego Flórez), this season the BBC proms hosts memorial tributes to David Bowie and serialist composer Pierre Boulez. There is also a celebration of the cello with performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Berlioz’s ‘Romeo et Juliet’, plus world class ensembles like the Berlin Philharmonic (conducted by Simon Rattle). 

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Chris Christodoulou

Of the fixed-capacity 6,000 tickets sold for each concert, 1,400 (at just £6) are kept back for ‘prommers’, who queue up to stand in the arena or loll around in the venue’s upper balconies – these areas offer the best acoustics.

There is no dress code at the Proms, so wear comfortable clothes and sensible shoes.
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Food and drink are not permitted in the auditorium, but there are 14 bars and catering facilities, so bring plenty of readies. And be sure to order interval drinks in advance – you’ll save yourself 10 percent and a 20-minute wait.

Generally one doesn’t clap between movements of a symphony or song cycle, waiting instead until the conductor has relaxed his/her arms. The rule is: they slump, you slap (your palms together).
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If you can’t muster the stamina to sit or stand through hundreds of hours of music, every event is broadcast live on Radio 3 and online, with a selection on Radio 1 and Radio 2, plus BBC One, Two and Four.

The Last Night of the Proms with all the flags may seem like a EuroMillions gathering but the crowd at the event’s closing party have won another type of lottery. Seats can only be attained by buying tickets for five concerts and entering a ballot, or if you’re a season-ticket holder.
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Can’t get tickets for the Last Night? Proms in the Park (Hyde Park, that is) offers classical music alongside the likes of ABC, All Saints and Rick Astley. 
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