The BBC's decision to play instrumental versions of Land of Hope and Glory and Rule, Britannia! at the Last Night of the Proms this year has been supported by director general Tony Hall on the grounds that "fewer performers will be allowed on stage, which makes it harder to perform the songs with a traditional chorus", and "it's quite hard creatively [and] artistically" to present a work to which audiences would normally sing along. But while the BBC says the decision was prompted by Covid-19 restrictions, other media have said they dropped the lyrics due to their references to colonialism and slavery. Prime Minister Boris Johnson commented "I think it's time we stopped... this general fight of self-recrimination and wetness."
Published: 26-08-2020