There has been a lot of debate in the UK about the possibility that Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Brittania might not be sung at the last night of the Proms. I imagine the main reason for this was because singing is considered to be dangerous, as a Covid spreader. There is no congregational singing allowed in Churches for the foreseeable future and I think schools have also stopped singing in assemblies or music lessons. This is a sad thing, and may eventually prove to be uneccesary, indeed some research already shows that it is no more dangerous than speaking. Anyway, the decision by the BBC to have orchestral only versions of these songs was met with dismay by some quarters of UK society.
Both songs are seen as patriotic rallying cries, and have been sung at the Proms for more than a century, with one of the few noticeable exceptions being just after the attacks on the World Trade Centre. The songs mark the end of the Promenade concert season with this lusty community singing. The true Promenaders on this occasion are those who stand in the space in the front of the stage waving flags and singing full voice. When the discussion started I felt compelled to look out footage of the event, the crowd does not reflect the age or diversity of Britain today.
What really ate at me though was the thought that at a time when the flaws in UK society have never been more visible nor the divisions as wide, people were getting upset about a tradition which has become imbued with jingoism and privilege. My response was to create a collage which reflects the state of our country. My heart bleeds for those who risk life and limb to get here because they have been sold the lie that it is a fair and decent land rather than a land in the hands of a government that is gradually dismantling all of the benefits that it once offered its citizens. It also has been redefining citizenship in a particularly nasty way with its hostile environment policy. There are so many other things I could have included in this video, in particular the cruel way in which the NHS continues to be run down, badly treated and sold off even though it has been vital during the pandemic. However, there is only so much you can do in a minute and a half.
Land of hope and glory, mother of the free
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet
Life Gathers 