BBC considers renouncing "Rule, Britannia!" at "Last Night of the Proms"

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"Last Night of the Proms" (archive image)

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In the end, the venerable Royal Albert Hall is regularly drowned in a sea of ​​Union Jack flags: at the finale of the "Last Night of the Proms", the audience is patriotic and blissfully agrees with the popular "Rule, Britannia!" as if it were in a football stadium. The tradition has been criticized for a long time - it could soon be over.

In view of the "Black Lives Matter" protests and bitter debates about the colonial past of Great Britain, the BBC is considering, according to British media, not to let the song play at the traditional closing event of its classical concert series. The new corona regulations could provide the reason for this.

The "Sunday Times" reports that this year's conductor of "Last Night", the Finn Dalia Stasevska, is a great supporter of "Black Lives Matter". She considers a concert without an audience and with a smaller orchestra to be the perfect opportunity to change the program.

Longing for imperial greatness

Influential music critic Richard Morrison wrote in a column for the BBC a month ago that now is the perfect time to "get rid of that embarrassing, anachronistic mishmash of nationalist songs that concludes the Last Night of the Proms."

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In addition to the 1740 piece "Rule, Britannia!" also the titles "And did those feet in ancient times" and "Land of Hope and Glory". "Rule, Britannia!" among other things because of the line of text: "Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves; Britons will never be slaves."

Many Britons have long been embarrassed by the longing for imperial grandeur with which conservatives sing this song today. In stark contrast to nationalist politicians like Nigel Farage, who promptly suggested getting rid of the conductor instead of the song.

The conservative government under Boris Johnson does not want any changes either: Culture Minister Oliver Dowden has just been heard saying that he considers the conclusion of the "Proms" to be a "highlight". He shared on Twitter: "Confident nations that look ahead do not erase their past; they add something to it."

The core of the discussion has been going on for years. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, "Rule, Britannia!" already kicked out of the program. The American conductor Leonard Slatkin had the patriotic finale shortened significantly from 2002 to 2007 and only played the song. Since 2008 it has been back in the full version in the program.

So far, the BBC, which is under heavy attack from conservative forces in England, has not yet made a final statement on how the final of the "Last Night of the Proms" will be organized this year. Whichever way she decides - she is sure to receive substantial criticism.