On Saturday, Britain will cap off 2020’s last night of the Proms with vocal deliveries of its most patriotic songs.
Just two weeks ago, this annual celebration was very much in doubt. At least, that is, as it has been conducted for the last few decades. It has taken a new director-general of the BBC, lobbying from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and public outrage to see that songs such as “Jerusalem,” “Rule, Britannia!” and “Land of Hope and Glory” would resound via singers as well as instruments. Although seemingly insignificant, the vocal victory is a rare triumph over inane political correctness.
The Proms is an annual series of summer concerts played at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The concerts reach their crescendo with the mid-September performance showcasing classical compositions across the ages. The centerpiece of that performance is a delivery of various interpretations of traditional British patriotic songs. My favorite of these is Thomas Arne’s musical set piece, “Rule, Britannia!” The song encapsulates patriotism in the context of parliamentary democracy and the defeat of great adversaries, harking back to the days of British imperial naval power. In the early 19th century, for example, the song offered inspiration against Napoleon Bonaparte’s threat of invasion. The truth of its words, “Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves! Britons never, never, never shall be slaves,” was again proved when Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated a Franco-Spanish fleet in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar.
But as I say, the celebration of victory was until very recently at risk.
Claiming that the coronavirus pandemic meant that singing the songs would pose too much risk, the BBC had announced that they would only be played instrumentally. The excuse was a very shallow one. British pundits and politicians were quick to point out that precautions could be taken to allow the songs to be sung in the empty hall. They also observed the left-wing activism that has been presented in recent months against supposedly jingoistic and immoral songs. Prime Minister Boris Johnson then chimed in, stating that “I think it’s time we stopped our cringing embarrassment about our history, about our traditions, and about our culture, and we stopped this general bout of self-recrimination and wetness.” Johnson continued, “I do think this country is going through an orgy of national embarrassment about some of the things that other people around the world love most about us. People love our traditions and our history with all its imperfections. It’s crazy for us to go around trying to censor it. It’s absolutely absurd, and I think we should speak out loud and proud for the U.K. and our history.”
Johnson was and is correct.
Facing public pressure and perhaps also the risk that the government might further reduce the BBC’s generous state financial allotment, the new BBC director general reversed course and canceled his predecessor’s determination. The songs would be sung, after all.
It’s good news for anyone who cares about history and patriotism. Of course, there are those who prefer self-flagellation to celebrations of great victories against enemies such as Adolf Hitler. There was a tediously tepid response from the Labour Party opposition leader. Sir Keir Starmer said that “Enjoying patriotic songs does not and should not be a barrier to examining our past and learning lessons from it.” Thanks for that gem of insight, Keir. As the BBC reported, other musicians such as Chi-chi Nwanoku also complained. “For any conscious black person who is aware of their history, the empire and colonialism, for example,” Nwanoku said, “They will struggle to enjoy the patriotic jingoism of these songs.” Thanks for speaking for all “conscious” black Britons, Nwanoku.
Fortunately, Nelson’s victory resounds again. Why is that a good thing? Well, watch below.
