LAST NIGHT OF PROMS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27471, 4 October 1954, Page 8

LAST NIGHT OF PROMS

Excited Audience In Albert Hall 294,000 ATTEND JUBILEE CONCERTS (From the London Correspondent of “The Press”) LONDON, September 20. The diamond jubilee Promenade Concerts ended on Saturday night on a high emotional scale and in a blaze of glory. The last night of the Proms season is always an occasion, but this year it was a special occasion. The last night is the one time when the young audiences make the Royal Albert Hall ring with their stormy delight. It is the time the youngsters repay themselves for much queuing and for many a skimped tea. There were balloons, streamers, flags and whistles and shouts from happy throats. A total of 294,000 persons attended the season of The Proms and 6000 more persons stood near to hear the music this year than last, a record for standing audiences. Many people queued outside the Albert Hall from lunchtime on Friday to make sure of getting into the final concert, but on the night there were still 2000 outside who heard it by relay. The concert was televised. Everything was as raucous and uninhibited and happy as usual. It was orderly disorder, however, which stopped the moment Sir Malcolm Sargent raised his baton. Then a pin could have been heard to drop. In the final quarter hour, however, the Royal Albert Hall was almost shaken to pieces by the volume of sound. The whole audience of several thousand sang “Land of Hope and Glory” twice; it sang “Rule Britannia” and “Jerusalem” and then “God Save the Queen.” Sir Malcolm Sargent made the traditional last night speech. He said it would take six months to accommodate so many people in Carnegie Hall, New York, and only 49 concerts had been held in the Albert Hall.