| Orchestra or Band | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) |
| Set List | 'Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis', Vaughan Williams,
'Concerto Gregoriano', Respighi,
'Symphony No. 5 in D Major, Reformation', Mendelssohn |
| Performance Notes | In 2021, the BBC Proms returns to the Royal Albert Hall for a summer of live music, as it has done every year since 1941. With 52 concerts over 44 days, featuring 30 orchestras and ensembles and more than 2,000 musicians, this ambitious season promises a celebration of live music on a scale not seen since before the pandemic. From the power of a symphony orchestra to the sheer joy of a single performer on the Halls magnificent organ, this summer we look forward to coming together through music. Every Prom will be live on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds.
Conductor Vasily Petrenko appears for the first time at the Proms in his new role as Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. They are joined by Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji for Respighis Concerto gregoriano a spiritual serenade in which the soloist becomes a wordless cantor, whose plainsong-inspired melodies soar over the orchestra.
Two more tributes to the musical past complete the programme: Vaughan Williamss haunting Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis takes inspiration from Tudor polyphony, while Mendelssohns youthful Reformation Symphony climaxes in Martin Luthers stirring chorale A mighty fortress is our God.
The season was shortened to six, rather than eight, weeks because of the financial risk to the BBC not knowing audience sizes due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| Related Archival Material | Prospectus (RAHE/1/2021/5),
Programme (RAHE/1/2021/12) |