Summary
Such thoughtless coverage of a staple composer opens out the wider theme of 'themes' themselves. 'Who wants them, who needs them?' The Proms are too large for such essentially artificial tendentiousness. They should be and can be comprehensive. Of course, notable birthdays should be marked: of the hopeful living as well as of the illustrious immortals. But core composers need no centenaries (let alone the recent opportunistic pedantry of 25th, 75th, 145th, etc., etc.).
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Extract
Who Needs Themes?
Geographical exigencies compelled my missing the greater part of this year's Proms: I caught some early concerts and some of the last on the wireless, but never once made it live to the mighty Oval on the Park. What I can offer is a mixture of hearing and hearsay ...
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