Land of hope and sexpots
AFTER a summer of patriotic fervour, the culmination for me was managing to get a ticket to the Last Night Of The Proms, something I’ve dreamed of since the age of ten!
The Proms are a great way of enjoying music you wouldn’t normally bother with — every event contains a little gem, something unexpected, slipped in among the old favourites.
On Saturday, along with the sea shanties and the party atmosphere, we got Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti exquisitely performing a violin concerto by Bruch in a shimmering white ballgown — Katherine Jenkins has been well and truly toppled as the classical sexpot.
I debated whether to turn up in a Union Jack dress, but decided I might look like Geri Halliwell’s grannie. In the end, I chose a blue-and-white printed Peter Pilotto frock with red glittering earrings. Top moment was when a gang of our Olympic and Paralympic sailing and rowing medallists strode onto the stage for the encore of Rule, Britannia! — I looked across and saw Chancellor George Osborne enthusiastically singing along in a box with the BBC’s Nick Robinson, but sadly not waving his flag. And he didn’t get booed — promenaders are far too well-mannered for that.
Earlier, Mr Osborne stood up and joined in a mass rendition of You’ll Never Walk alone, which starts: ‘When you walk through a storm, Hold your head up high.’
Funnily enough, he didn’t seem to need to glance at the words. Maybe he sings it in the shaving mirror every morning.