Going to the Prom

I went to the Prom this weekend.

And no, its not what you think.

Although, Prom in high school will always be memorable, this Prom is quite different.

I didn't just go to any Prom. I actually went to Prom #19! Prom, or The Proms is a musical festival consisting of orchestral classical music, and is held for 8 weeks in the Royal Albert Hall.

We queued up outside the beautiful Royal Albert Hall, in what is an action called: "Promming." (And no, its not about renting a tux and buying a corsage for your date and taking silly pictures along a staircase holding your date in an awkward position... but I digress.) Promming is simply queuing up the night of a Prom you would like to attend and listening and watching the concert in the standing areas inside the hall. Tickets were 5 quid, and you literally can sit, stand, or even lie in the arena. Or if you fancy, stand high up in the gallery.

Now when I think of the Royal Albert Hall, especially from our last visit watching Cirque de Solei, I think formal attire, an aristocratic attitude, and being prim and proper. But nope, not in this case.

People turn up as they are: casual, jeans, shorts, and even flip flops, which to me is almost counter-intuitive attending a classical concert in Royal Albert Hall! But I guess that's what makes it so unique.

Prom #19 consisted of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and for you classical music lovers out there, and I know many of you are, they played:

• Kenneth Hesketh - Graven Image (world premiere for the Liverpudlian composer)


• Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.4 in G major


• Rachmaninov - Symphonic Dances

Paul Lewis - Piano
Vasily Petrenko - conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

All in all it was a very memorable experience. It was the first time I've actually seen a live professional Philharmonic Orchestra of any kind. So it was quite amazing seeing all the musicians play with so much emotion.

It was quite a different experience from watching an orchestra that my grade school had put together. I always watched the percussion section the most because I loved the person who was in charge of the cymbols. Its so funny watching them wait for that one note they would have to play!

In any case, this Prom, was surely memorable. It didn't have the corsage, silly pictures, slow dances, or boat cruise, but it did have a listening experience I will never forget.