Proms ’05: Still The Biggest, Still One Of The Best

All carping and nitpicking aside, there really is nothing like the BBC Proms, the 111th edition of which begins this weekend in London. “There is something about the buzz of the atmosphere, the camaraderie of the Albert Hall, and the potent musical mix that ineluctably attracts seasoned, occasional and first-time concert-goers alike… While other European musical capitals largely shut up shop during the summer, London stages the world’s busiest two-month classical festival, this year with 74 concerts, eight lunchtime chamber recitals, and the popular last night’s Proms in the Park presented simultaneously in London, Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester and Swansea.”