Proms fly the flag for Cambridge's 800th

The BBC Proms celebrated the 800th Anniversary of the University of Cambridge with a sold-out concert yesterday evening at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

More than 5,000 music lovers and Cambridge alumni, including His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, enjoyed the performance. At the end of the concert the conductor Andrew Davis (KC 1963, Music) was called out for several curtain calls to a cheering audience and a sea of waving Cambridge flags.

Some 240 singers from 16 college choirs were joined onstage by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, baritone Simon Keenlyside and organist Thomas Trotter (KC 1976, Music), all of whom studied at Cambridge.

The evening's repertoire was by composers associated with the University, including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Charles Villiers Stanford and Ryan Wigglesworth.

As Professor of Music, Stanford taught Vaughan Williams, who wrote his Wasps overture for a University staging of Aristophanes' comedy, and later set verses by a former University Orator, George Herbert, in his Five Mystical Songs.

Jonathan Harvey - who this year celebrates his 70th birthday - and Judith Weir (KC 1973, Music) also studied at Cambridge. Andrew Nethsingha conducted the choirs of King's and St John's for Harvey's Come, Holy Ghost, and Stephen Cleobury (Director of Music at King's) conducted the two choirs for Weir's Ascending Into Heaven.

Ryan Wigglesworth studied at Oxford but was until recently a Cambridge lecturer and fellow of Corpus Christi College. His piece The Genesis of Secrecy was commissioned by the BBC for this occasion. In a Proms double debut, he returns to co-conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Prom 39 (14 August).

Camille Saint-Saëns was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university in 1893. His 3rd Symphony ('Organ') was a spectacular end to the concert, with its famous massive final movement.

Outside the Royal Albert Hall, people were queuing up for tickets as early as 6am. The 'Prommers', as they are known, are a close-knit group, many of whom have been coming to the Proms for most of their lives. Warren Parker, who travels each year from New Zealand for the Proms, says he hopes to make it to 60 of this season's 75 concerts.

For those who were not able to make it to the Albert Hall, Wednesday's performance will be available for the next week via BBC iPlayer:

• Watch the 800th Anniversary Prom, part one on iPlayer


• Watch the 800th Anniversary Prom, part two on iPlayer