02 Aug 2007
The evolution of the Proms
Colin Matthews [TLS, 1 August 2007]
Any coverage of the Proms is usually accompanied by images of the flag-wavers of the Last Night. What a relief, then, to find that The Proms: A new history, edited by Jenny Doctor and David Wright, is not wrapped in a Last Night jacket, but features a cover photograph that could belong to any night. The bizarre rituals of the closing gala are given their space, but in the context of something much greater: the history of the world’s outstanding music festival.