Reading Flora Willson’s review of the Last Night of the Proms (Party falls flat as BBC miss chance to speak up, 13 September), I wondered if she watched the same programme that my husband and I did. As musicians, we felt it was the best Last Night we had seen – without the awful jingoism of previous occasions and with an interesting selection and presentation of music, and innovative lighting and projections of British countryside during Nicola Benedetti’s superb performance of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. Without a live audience, we were able to see groups of fans elsewhere enjoying the concert, with plenty of flags and party hats, and the splendid spread of Chelsea Pensioners. The BBC Symphony orchestra and Golda Schultz were superb, contributing to a remarkable event, considering the current constrictions of our lives.
Helen Keating
Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire
• I disagree with Flora Willson that the Last Night of the Proms felt like “a party to which no one had turned up” and that the BBC singers were underwhelming in such a vast space. The empty hall actually added to the poignancy of the evening and the sweetness of the music, as it has to every one of this year’s Proms. Watching it at home made me feel very much part of the party.
Stan Labovitch
Windsor, Berkshire
• The Last Night of the Proms was a big improvement this year. However, the BBC still managed to offend me. As a euphonium player, I was horrified that the traditional rendition of The Saucy Arethusa was played on a bass clarinet. The euphonium is seriously underrepresented in classical music; this is its one annual big moment. What has the BBC got to say? Our prime minister must act!
Adrian Townsend
Garsington, Oxfordshire
• Not ever having known most of the words of God Save the Queen, I was very interested to see during the BBC’s very helpful subtitling of it for the Last Night of the Proms that “May she defend our laws” is a line in the final verse. Surely now is the time for her to do exactly that (Tory rebellion widens over Boris Johnson’s bill to override Brexit deal, 13 September).
Geoff Bunce
Harpenden, Hertfordshire
