The first night of the Proms last Friday. Photograph: Graeme Robertson
What have the BBC Proms got in common with the Glastonbury festival? I'll give you a clue: it's not the myriad joys of being caked in mud and human excrement for days on end, though I doubt such a possibility would put any of the truly hardcore Prommers off. (Indeed, it might turn some of them on.)
No, the answer is the Guardian's music blog. Just as a crack team of top journos hit the perry-and-acid fest at Glasto three weeks ago, so I'll be bringing you the best and worst from the Royal Albert Hall over the next two months. Anyway, opening night was on Friday and it began less with a bang than a thud. Two thuds actually, both towards the end of Elgar's Cello Concerto, as a pair of Prommers collapsed within minutes of each other. I personally believe it's a sign of good luck when an audience member passes out during a concert: two of them augurs very well indeed for the season ahead. I can't wait until the six-and-a-half-hour standathon that is Götterdämmerung - they'll be toppling like dominos.
The music was probably a bit on the serious side for opening night - most audience members are too busy catching up with people they haven't seen since last September to care what's going on onstage. Besides, Beethoven's Ninth is more of a valedictory than a welcoming piece and would have been better suited to the end of the festival. Stirring as it is - and the combined Philharmonia and BBC Symphony Choruses sure made me wish I could punch the air at these things - surely you should leave the celebrations until after you've achieved what you're meant to be celebrating? No matter. Nicholas Kenyon has hedged his bets by putting on another Ninth at the end of August, presumably to make up for the one he misplaced last year.
"Fun" isn't really Jiři Bělohlávek's style anyway - as proved by his unique way with William Walton's jolly hockey sticks escapade Portsmouth Point. Let's just hope he gets drunk for the Last Night - everyone else will be - and lets his hair down for some good old-fashioned pomp and circumstance.
Until then we've got a fantastic line-up of artists to look forward to and I'll be covering as many of the highlights as my aching legs will allow. Feel free to post your comments on the highlights and lowlights as we go along - with 80 concerts to cover, I'm going to need all the help I can get.
