March 12, 1710 — Every year the Promenade Concerts are held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, culminating in the “Last Night of the Proms” – a patriotic (some would say jingoistic), flag-waving musical jamboree where the audience joins in lustily with perennial favourites such as Rule, Britannia!, Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem.
Composer Thomas Arne, who was born on this day, is responsible for setting the widely misunderstood Rule, Britannia! to music from words by the poet James Thomson.
He wrote it at a time in the 18th Century when Britain did not rule the waves – the Dutch, France and Spain possessed formidable fleets – but Thomson foresaw that by sticking to their guns, so to speak, the British could emerge as the world’s Number One naval power. “Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves,” he pleaded.
It was a message of hope and encouragement, much like excited sports fans today yell, “Come on!” when their team is pressing an advantage.
This, however, appears to be lost on many of the concert-goers, known as “promenaders” at the Royal Albert Hall. There, the words are inevitably rendered as “Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves”, which isn’t the same thing at all.
The missing commas and the substitution of “rules” for “rule” change the meaning completely and turn the phrase into imperialist triumphalism.
None of this detracts from the spectacle and fervour of the Last Night which, in recent years, has been shown simultaneously on giant screens in London’s Hyde Park and other venues across the country, not to mention the millions watching on television around the world.
And it’s largely thanks to Henry (later Sir Henry) Wood who became the first conductor of The Proms in 1895 and who built the repertoire as the series developed from year to year.
His bronze bust is brought out and placed in front of the organ at the start of each season.
Promenade concerts were originally held in London’s pleasure gardens and were so-called because the audience would stroll around as the musicians played.
There is no room to do that nowadays in the Albert Hall, which is packed for most of the prom concerts through the eight-week season.
But it is the Last Night that is the big draw. The best seats for the 2017 event were selling at the beginning of the year for £1,540 ($1,900) each. And that’s the official price – before the touts got their hands on them!
Published: January 31, 2017
Updated: June 10, 2022
Related Articles and Photos
Related Famous People
Articles on Events in March
Mr. Watson come here, I want you
Alexander Graham Bell spoke only briefly by phone to his assistant on this day in 1876, but it proved to be a pioneering moment in telecoms history.March 10, 1876Read All About It! UK's First Daily Newspaper
There were to be no ‘shock, horror’ stories in the UK’s first daily newspaper published on this day. Readers were asked to judge reported events for themselves.March 11, 1702Sportsman Who Became Larger Than Life
Nothing suggested that Daniel Lambert, born on this day, would evolve from an athletic youngster to the mountain of a man that he became.March 13, 1770Boy Wonder Conquers Theatreland
Parliament was adjourned on this day so that MPs could grab their seats for a performance by Master Betty – the theatrical wonder of the age.March 14, 1805