Performing at the Best Classical Music Festival in the World
Osian Rowlands
Chorus Manager for BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales
I’ve worked with the Chorus for the past 9 and 3/4 years (yes, I've been here that long!), and of all our concerts there's something about The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall that's a little bit special. Standing on the stage of such a grand place, representing our nation, you get an overwhelming sense of pride.
BBC Proms Ten Pieces concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Photo: Guy Levy
Having performed last year at the First Night of the Proms, the Chorus were chuffed to be invited back this year. The BBC choral family - BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC National Chorus of Wales joined forces for the first time and with just a short rehearsal before the concert, broadcasting live to tens of thousands of people on television and radio, it’s was an exciting and nerve-wracking time. There were over 400 of us performing Belshazzar's Feast (by William Walton) and the sound that filled the Royal Albert Hall was phenomenal.
There was no rest for me as we went straight into a Prom the next night. Over the last year our Orchestra has engaged with thousands of children through the Ten Pieces project, which culminated in two Proms. With a life sized Firebird (inspired by Stravinsky) flying through the Royal Albert Hall, trolls causing chaos and our Principal Conductor Thomas Søndergård teaching Dick & Dom to conduct, you could see and hear the excitement of some the Orchestra’s youngest fans.
BBC Proms - Ten Pieces: The Firebird. Photo: Guy Levy
Outreach work is another part of my role so just before we started the Proms, the Orchestra, a few Chorus members and I introduced these Ten Pieces to schools in North and Mid Wales. Teaching the children to sing Zadok the Priest (by Handel) and creating thunderstorms with our hands was lots of fun!
With a few more Proms ahead of us it's a very busy time of year but for the Chorus and Orchestra it’s definitely a highlight, and of course bringing some of the magic of the Proms back to Wales at Proms in the Park in Swansea is the perfect finale for us.
The author leading a choral workshop at Ten PIeces concert in Deeside. Photo: Celynnen Photography
Find out more about BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales at the Proms on the bbc.co.uk/proms website.
And you can see all of BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales’s latest Proms at bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007v097/episodes/player
