This is being published to mark the First Night of the 2019 Season of Henry Wood Proms in London’s Royal Albert Hall. Leonard Slatkin became Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2000 and in that capacity he was scheduled to conduct the following year’s Last Night of the Proms on 15 September. Only a few days before however, on the date now known as 9/11, the Twin Towers were attacked in New York. Slatkin was devastated at the horrific deaths of so many of his fellow Americans and told the BBC that he felt he could not conduct a programme that traditionally consists of high jinks, asking them to find another conductor. However, the BBC responded by suggesting several changes to the programme which would allow Slatkin to fulfil his engagement, including a performance of Samuel Barber’s ‘Adagio for Strings’ as a kind of ‘In Memoriam’ that would reflect the prevailing sombre mood.
The main change to the concert’s second half was the inclusion of the “Ode to Joy” Choral Finale from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. As will be heard, under Slatkin’s direction it was given an electrifying performance by all concerned. The soloists were Janice Watson, Alice Coote, Kim Begley and David Wilson-Johnson, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the BBC Singers.