Today at the Proms - Prom 17

Continuing our daily coverage of what's on at The Proms 2018, Susan Omand has a quick look at the programme for Prom 17: Parry, Vaughan Williams and Holst  ...


Reminder - Watch Prom 13: Pioneers of Sound and  Prom 17: Parry, Vaughan Williams & Holst on BBC Four tonight



A cornucopia of English countryside is evoked in tonight's Prom with two pieces by Hubert Parry (the man responsible for the most Englishest ever song with Jerusalem), a short piece by the Planets guy Gustav Holst and a couple from Vaughan Williams.



Probably the best known of these is The Lark Ascending (which regularly tops the Classic FM Hall of Fame.) Inspired by the poem of the same name by George Meredith (which you can read here) this evocative work was premiered in 1921 by the violinist Marie Hall, for whom Vaughan Williams wrote the work. Tai Murray gets the soloist honours in the prom tonight.



Because it's Friday, here's The Lark Ascending in its full glory by Nigel Kennedy, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Grab a coffee, sit back and relax...

Here's the full programme for this evening's Prom which you can listen to live from 19:00 on Radio 3 or on the iPlayer

Hubert Parry
Symphony No. 5 in B minor(27 mins)

Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Lark Ascending(15 mins)

INTERVAL

Hubert Parry
Hear my words, ye people(15 mins)

Gustav Holst
Ode to Death(12 mins)

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Pastoral Symphony (No. 3)(35 mins)


Image - Photo © Chris Christodoulou