Prom at the Palace

The Prom at the Palace was a classical music concert held in London in 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II. It was held at Buckingham Palace on 1 June 2002 forming part of the Golden Jubilee Weekend. It was the classical equivalent of the Party at the Palace, a pop music event. Its name reflects the popular season of classical concerts held at the Royal Albert Hall, The Proms.

Event and Venue

The concert was held in Buckingham Palace Garden as part of the Golden Jubilee. The event was touted as the greatest classical concert in Britain in many years in part due to the quality of performers on a single stage. Tickets were determined by a lottery. Twelve thousand people attended the concert.

This was the first time that the Queen had ever opened the garden up to the public and heralded similar celebrations, both during the Golden Jubilee Year of 2002 and in 2006 for her 80th Birthday celebrations, which included a party for fellow octogenarians and a Children's Prom at the Palace).

Performers

Orchestras at the Prom included HM Royal Marines Portsmouth, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Chorus, the London Adventist Chorale. Compere Michael Parkinson asked the audience to stand as The Queen, wearing a lime green suit, entered the Royal Box with The Duke of Edinburgh and took her place with the British Royal Family. Individual performers included Kiri Te Kanawa, Julian Bliss, Ashley Wass, Zenaida Yanowsky, Roberto Bolle, Thomas Allen, Mstislav Rostropovich, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna.

Aspects of Concert

The concert was the opening of the Golden Jubilee Weekend. In Buckingham Palace Garden, 12,000 guests each sat in their seats and ate a picnic dinner. The performances were done on a large stage constructed specially for the event. The performances were synchronized for ballet presentations inside of the Palace and broadcast to the crowds in the garden. The concert ended with the singing of "God Save the Queen".

ee also

* Party at the Palace
* Buckingham Palace Gardens
* Buckingham Palace

External links

* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000069B68 amazon.com DVD listing for edited live recording of "Prom at the Palace" ISBN B000069B68]