Bisexual pride will rule Britannia at BBC’s Last Night of the Proms
mainThe outspoken US soprano Jamie Barton, in conversation today with Fiona Maddocks:
You’ve revealed you’ll be wearing the bisexual pride colours of lavender, pink and blue at the Last Night… tell us more.
I’m so thrilled about the dress – and the Last Night! I never dreamt I’d be asked to do this gig. It’s 50 years since the anniversary of Stonewall. It’s so important for me to stand up proudly as a bisexual woman. What I can tell you is that the main colour of the dress will be pewter, with a cape element, a bubble sleeve – and a reveal! That idea of reveal is very much part of queer culture, and drag. It’s a way of saying this is who I am.
Er, yes. Perhaps.
The Last Night of the Proms is a celebration of music. Attempts to promote social and political causes have previously been frowned upon.
Surely you’re joking. The Last Night is a jingoistic tribute to nationalism. A reasonably fun one, but still…
No, it’s a harmless, end-of-season party along traditional lines, which allows people to attempt to signal their superior virtue by sneering at it.
It’s the most-watched classical concert in the UK. It has more resonance than you’d imagine.
Believe it or not, people can actually recognize a bit a fun when they see it.
So far as “resonance” is concerned, worry about drill music instead.
It used to be largely ironic. Now it is becoming less so, to judge by comments on YouTube. Rather too many people seem to think that, yeah, we really ought to get out there and rule the waves again.
When Britain first, at Heav’n’s command
Prorogued, prorogued, pro-rogued the Parliament!
There was no charter! No charter in the Land!
So Old Etonians queued up in plundering bands!
Rule, Dom Cummings! Boris, and Gove, and Mogg!
Democracy’s no longer worth a dead, dead dog!
You judge by comments on YouTube? You even read them?
I have seen singers wear the weirdest costumes on the Last Night, mostly based on some loudly screaming version of the national flag of the UK.
If that is acceptable, so should be the costume described here.
The shocker for me is how soon The Last Night of the Proms comes round every year.
[[ Until now the Last Night Of The Proms has been a celebration of music ]]
Pull the other one – it’s got bells on!
While I may deplore (‘frown upon’, perhaps) the current bit of attempted politicizing of the Last Night (by the LGBxyz folks), surely it is rather laughable to write that ‘until now it’s been about music’: but I may understand why NL takes this route since it is certainly more principled (not to say, more efficient) to write about frowning upon any politicizing than to write about this specific attempt. The flags and Rule Britannia etc etc can be plausibly attributed to laudable patriotism.
Sadly I feel I have a previous engagement, or will have
A pressing engagement; couple of shirts to iron?
No, in fact a concert at the Wigmore Hall! An interesting programme devoid of identity politics
When you’re in the majority and you get reinforcement every place you look oh, it’s easy to make tacky comments about other people trying to survive in a hostile environment.
Bryn Terfel came out in a Wales Rugby shirt, and kicked a rugby ball into the promenaders. I thought the Proms was a celebration of music for everyone. How many last night speeches have had a political slant? It is much more than music. Did you write a column about the person who clapped/interrupted the silence in Das Lied von der Erde earlier in the Proms season?
Imagine that the Christian Church, ages ago, had issued a grave taboo on broccoli, how that would have created a psychopathological territory of suppression, secrecy, anxiety, underground activity, blackmaling, self-denial, failed dinner parties, upbringing problems, educational streamlining, etc. etc. and a wealth of sociological constructs and identity problems and outings in our own time.
You’re a real piece of work, Mr. Borstlap…
I’m merely showing that what we see around today, is the artificial result of an artificial taboo. Read history….
Yeah, no politics at an event where the crowning moments are Rule Britannia, Jerusalem and God Save the Queen, where Bryn Terfel literally wore the Welsh flag, where Sarah Connolly showed up as a Royal Navy admiral, where Joseph Calleja wore the Maltese cross, and where Renée Fleming waved an American flag (while singing Rule Britannia!). No politics at all.
And if you want to ignore the politics, you’re free to imagine that all she’ll be wearing is a gorgeous lavender, pink, and blue dress.
The Proms ‘politics’ are a celebration of Britain; the LGBTYKU etc. ‘politics’ are ‘all about me’.
Yes, because there are no LGBTQ people in Britain. And I might point out that a celebration of Britain headlined by a Finnish conductor and an American mezzo, well…
You have a problem with Ms Barton wearing a frock that is coloured pink, lavender and blue?
Being queer in the world as it stands is, in itself, a political statement.
“… it’s a way of saying this is who I am…”
Stop with the frowning. It gives you wrinkles.
This who I am? (Who gives a rats???!!)
So what! I am heterosexual. Does everyone need to know that if I sing Rule Britannia. Anyone know what the colours are so I can show I’m heterosexual?
Pretty much anything you wear. It’s assumed. Check your privilege.
I didn’t know bisexual pride had colours. Does that mean if I wear them — I have items in each, none I can think of that mixes them — I send out a false signal? Just askin’.
I love Last Night. Have a few recordings of it — nothing cheerier on a dreich night on November or February. I a not interested in who this person is. If she can sing well, I’m fine with that. I devoutly hope she does not utter spoken words, as her private life is of no interest to me and should as far as I am concerned stay private.
Of course those of a queasy disposition could just not watch, or listen. I have given the whole tawdry display a wide berth for decades and feel as if I have missed nothing.
Diddums.
Bravo! The Last Night of the Proms moves a step closer to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Yes, and we will still get ‘nil ponts’.
Why does the public need to know the singer’s sexual orientation? Does it contribute to our appreciation of her music making?
Does it help her sing better? As long as the artist is up to doing justice to a piece of music, information about their bedroom preferences should stay there. Whatever happened to keeping private things private?
Nevertheless, she’s made her orientation public, just as other singers have revealed that they’re getting married or divorced from people of the opposite sex, they’re having children, they love rugby, they have dogs, they support some politician, they like to garden, or whatever matters have nothing to do with their music-making but that they still talked about.
You’re perfectly within your rights to avoid her performances and recordings from now on, if that’s what you would consider to be an appropriate response.
Privacy, like intimacy, has lost much of its attraction since it can be shared over the media.
Get over it, Barton. It’s not about you. It’s about the music. Screw with whomever you desire. Just don’t screw with the Proms.
As one of our sage, witty TV presenters said recently, “I don’t care if you’re in love with an allen key, we just aren’t interested in it”.
I love my dog. This is WHO I AM!!!
We all know who you are – just give it a rest.
See agreement here and yes, we too are sick to death of this never-ending boring LGBT triumphalism so think we will give it a miss this year.
Having looked at the programme for the LN and almost decided NOT to watch, and after reading this,I know I’m not going to. I have several of this year’s GOOD Proms recorded,so no problem.
I find it very difficult to understand why someone’s sexuality is a matter of pride, any more than it is of shame. Who cares? Just attention seeking
I hope the sight of thousands of EU flags doesn’t twist your knickers into an undoable knot Norman. Can’t wait.