iceLife The half heard mutterings of a Kiwi a long, long way from home.

Jo, I, Roger, Mary and Sandra went along to the Royal Albert Hall to see BBC Prom 36: BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

This was a world premiere of a new work composed specifically for the Proms series.

Here is what the BBC had to say:

Walton himself conducted the premiere of his warmly lyrical Viola Concerto, in a Proms concert that featured Paul Hindemith as soloist. While Walton, still early in his career, tapped into a new vein of mature expression, Rakhmaninov, in his final orchestral work, found a blistering exuberance at the end of his life; this was a work that Malcolm Sargent introduced to this country at the Proms.

The set list was (dare we call it that?) as follows:

Guto Puw ... onyt agoraf y drws ... (... unless I open the door ...)
(BBC commission: world premiere) (15 mins)

Walton - Viola Concerto (26 mins)

Rakhmaninov - Symphonic Dances (36 mins) featuring Lawrence Power on viola, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by David Atherton.

Can't pretend to have understood too much of it, other than - "gee that sounds nice" - but it was very pretty to listen to, and I thoroughly recommend taking in a Prom or two if you ever get the chance.