Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms 2008
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms fact sheet
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms is the biggest, longest-running musical festival in the world. If you've ever wondered what it is, how much it costs to present or who listens to the festival, here are the facts.
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What are the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms?
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms is the world's biggest classical music festival, packing around 150 events featuring some of the world's greatest artists and composers into the two-month season.
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In 2008 there are 88 concerts – 76 at the Royal Albert Hall, eight at Cadogan Hall, and four Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms In The Park events around the country on the last night, as well as this year's new and extended Proms Plus series – 76 pre-Prom events taking place every day at the Royal College of Music to include talks, films, Proms Music Intro, Proms Family Orchestra, Composer Portraits and the new Proms Literary Festival.
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How can I find out what's on when?
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms Guide, to be published on Friday 11 April 2008, contains full details of the complete programme of concerts, along with articles about the music and artists, and an advance booking form. Full details are also on bbc.co.uk/proms.
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Why are they called the Proms?
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Proms is short for Promenade concerts, which offer informal and inexpensive concerts where Promenaders ("Prommers") stand to watch the concert for Β£5. The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, now known as the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms, have up to 900 Prommers standing in the central Arena ("the best 'seats' in the house") and a further 500 standing, sitting or even lying down in the Gallery.
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Where are the Proms held?
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Since the first home of the Proms, the Queen's Hall, was bombed in 1941, the Proms has been held in the Royal Albert Hall (RAH) as a key part of the Hall's programme of events. The Proms team works closely with the RAH on all aspects of the season's logistics, but the responsibility for running the Proms and its artistic programme is the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's.
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When did the Proms begin?
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The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts began at 8.00pm on Saturday 10 August 1895. Even then, Prom concerts were not a new idea – they started in France in the 1830s and were introduced to the UK shortly afterwards.
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Whose idea were they?
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The Proms was the brainchild of impresario Robert Newman, whose ambition, along with a young conductor named Henry Wood, was to enable people to enjoy "serious music". Dr George Cathcart, a London throat specialist, provided the financial support necessary for the new venture to be launched.
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At that time, concerts were usually expensive, so tickets costing one shilling meant that large audiences could hear a variety of orchestral music for the first time. This remains true today with tickets remaining at Β£5 for the Arena and Gallery, which between them hold up to 1,400 people.
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Who was Sir Henry Wood?
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Sir Henry Wood was the first conductor of the Proms, aged 26, and the energetic and inspired programme-planner of many Proms seasons – he conducted almost every concert for nearly half a century.
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How many people attend the Proms?
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In 2007 272,000 tickets were sold but the actual attendance is higher owing to the Hall's private seat holders whose tickets cannot be sold by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.
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How much do tickets cost?
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There are different price bands for different concerts; apart from the last night, seat prices range from Β£6 to Β£54. Arena and Gallery tickets cost just Β£5 each. A Promming season ticket costs Β£190 (Arena) and Β£170 (Gallery), bringing the cost per concert down to as little as Β£2.23.
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How much do the Proms cost to put on?
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The total cost of the Proms season, including hire of the RAH, artistic costs, management and extra events, not including Proms In The Park is Β£8.7million.
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How much does the box office contribute?
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The total ticket income is just over Β£4million; and the remaining funding comes from the licence fee.
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What if I can't make it to a Prom?
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The Proms is available to the widest possible audience via Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ radio, television and online. There are more ways to enjoy the Proms than ever before.
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Every Prom is broadcast live on Radio 3 and listeners can hear repeat broadcasts of most concerts each weekday in Afternoon On 3 (2.00pm); every Prom is streamed live online via the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer and available on demand for seven days.
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This great festival can also be heard via the English network of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service and through the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), making the Proms accessible to many European and US public radio stations.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Television has regular weekly primetime broadcasts every Saturday on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two for the first time, in addition to regular weekly broadcasts on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four, providing an easily navigable Proms schedule on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TV.
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