“The BBC has announced it will press ahead with the Proms despite coronavirus threatening the 125-year-old musical tradition,” write Craig Simpson in Friday’s (4/10) Daily Telegraph (London). “Concerts have been performed in the summer season since 1895.… All the pomp and circumstance of the Proms may go ahead in a different form for its 125th anniversary year, the BBC has said. Season announcements have been postponed and tickets will not go on sale as planned as the safety of audiences is prioritized. But the broadcaster … is considering options to ensure the show goes on. These could include streaming or going ahead in a more traditional way should the national lockdown be lifted in time for the July opening night. The BBC hopes to have a plan in place for its classical music showpiece by the end of May. A statement from the BBC said: … ‘We are still hoping that the Proms will be part of the summer this year, although that will involve adapting and changing the festival we originally planned.’ … The BBC is developing plans based on the latest Government guidance, and remains flexible in terms of how it will produce the latest annual show.”
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