I'll wait to see it on TV in a few weeks or months as every year, since seeing it is as interesting and pleasant as listening to it!

Since you opened this topic, please tell me: I presume that singing "Rule Britannia" is a mandatory item in UK's musical education at school? Since it is not that easy to sing and every UK citizen seems to be able to sing it reasonably well.

Cheers. Jean.

"Rule Britannia" is not really a compulsory inclusion as much as a tradition established by Sir Thomas Beecham as part of the formula "something new, something unusual and a lot of comparatively short English compositions (with perhaps something Scottish, something Welsh or perhaps something Irish)"

Even though there is not as much of British origin these days, the whole presentation always turns out to be inspiring and the young people of Britain turn up equipped to be inspired, and their enthusiasm spreads infectiously - to me at least!

Good choice, Jean,

but what makes marches more suitable for the Last Night than other equally good music? What makes certain of them, like "Lorraine", "Blaze away" and "Colonel Bogey" more memorable and more identifiable than others? I believe the answer is in the words. Without words, marchers and promenaders alike would not function as happily. Of the five (or six) Pomp and Circumstance marches, two stand out. These are the two with associated songs, #1 with "Land of Hope and Glory" and #4 with "Come, Sons of the Free".

Harold.

Is Chutney or Chatney (as the chavs call it) a place betweem Chatham and Putney where they pickle green tomatos and oriental fruits?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Young_Persons_Guide_to_the_Orchestra