Birmingham Proms

Birmingham Proms

The Promenade concerts are a series of relatively inexpensive concerts held continuously over several summer weeks. The idea was introduced in the famous London Proms at the Albert Hall initiated by Sir Henry Wood. Regional centres also hold their own smaller and less well known concert series. I have previously recounted how my first concert visit had been a huge success. It had enhanced my standing with a girl on whom I was rather keen.

Going into Birmingham for some other reason we saw that there was to be a Birmingham Prom concert season largely given by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra ( CBSO ). At that time ( the summer of 1961 ) concerts were held in Birmingham Town Hall as Symphony Hall was only a distant pipedream. We had money to attend five concerts in the three week season. As I recall this season was rather earlier than the London one. Money was a big issue as we needed not only the ticket price but the travel cost also. I still had some money left from working for Lewis’s Department store in their January sales. That had been an interesting experience. I was sent to the dress fabrics department. I became quite expert in advising buyers what quantity to buy for skirts or dresses. If memory serves two and a half yards for a skirt and four yards for a dress ( the fashion at the time was for very full skirts )

We chose the five concerts. Frankly I don’t particularly remember the basis of our choice. As our knowledge of music was minimal I rather suspect it was fairly random. I certainly had little basis for choice; in fact one  main reason for going was to spend time with the girl. We did choose the last night as I had watched the Last Night high jinks at the London proms.

I don’t recall much about the series. One night was given by the visiting Czech orchestra. They got a rapturous welcome I thought this was rather exaggerated as they seemed to my ears no better than the CBSO. I think there was an element of pleasure that a foreign orchestra had made the trip, and one from behind the Iron Curtain.

For the last night we were in the orchestra gallery. I had wondered what this was. It turned out to be a few tiered seats behind the orchestra. Thus were looking down on the orchestra and over their heads to the majority of their audience. As far as I recall there was little of the practical joking and general high jinks of the London last night. We sang along to “Land of Hope and Glory” which was a traditional part of the last night repertoire. I don’t recall properly whether the arranged sea shanties featured- I rather think they did. Their rhythmic tunes lend themselves to punctuations by a boisterous crowd. The London series traditionally ends with a short light hearted speech by the conductor. This did not happen in Birmingham.

Later living om Merseyside we attended some Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra industrial concerts. These were intended to pull in an otherwise untapped audience although my recollection is they were little different from the usual. One welcome feature was visiting the Philharmonic pub nearby. This was very much in the Victorian style with copious etched glass and baroque decoration. Some other traditional pubs in the city had similar styles but this was easily the best.

So what about the girl. Reader, I married her.( I’m sure I have pinched that phrase from a classical work of literature but I don’t remember what )

What do you call a Frenchman who wears sandals?

Philippe Philoppe.