U.K. Culture Minister: The Proms Are Elitist
by Zoe Strimpel
Tue, 4 Mar 2008 at 7:35 PM
Britain's culture minister, Margaret Hodge, has caused an outcry by saying that the Proms, which are among London and the U.K.'s top cultural attractions, are elitist. The Proms are a lengthy summer series of mostly classical concerts held at London's Royal Albert Hall. Top conductors swan in and out of what is a truly breathtaking array of concerts.
The BBC, the series' sponsor, says that the aim of the Proms is to make classical music more accessible, not less. Still, Ms. Hodge said that many people do not feel comfortable attending, and that the scale, complexity and grandeur of the program make the Proms confusing and alienating. "The audiences for some of many of our greatest cultural events — I'm thinking particularly of the Proms — is still a long way from demonstrating that people from different backgrounds feel at ease in being part of this," Ms. Hodge said in a speech to a think tank. She pointed to Antony Gormley's gigantic "Angel of the North" sculpture, the British Museum, and the TV drama "Coronation Street" as admirable examples of icons or institutions that everyone can feel part of. She noted that "culture" can be divisive, citing "Jerry Springer the Opera," which outraged Christians.
Ms. Hodge also took issue with the Proms for a different reason. Traditionally, the final concert is met with vigorous flag-waving, and this expression of British pride strikes her as jingoistic and unpleasant. Could this be her main objection? The pressure to be politically correct is strong, and noisy nationalism is one of the first things to be condemned in its pursuit.
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