Read on to discover our history of Children’s Proms…
‘Children are welcome at the Proms, but in consideration of our audience and performer, children under the age of five are not allowed in the auditorium,’ stated the 1996 edition of the BBC Proms prospectus, firmly.
These days the wording is gentler: ‘We recommend that children … are aged five and over’. There were two exceptions in 2023… The hour-long programme of music by Walton, Mozart, Rachmaninov and Myroslav Skoryk given by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. And the Horrible Histories: ’Orrible Opera Prom, given by the chorus and orchestra of English National Opera.
Relaxed Proms are introduced in 2017…
Both are Relaxed Proms, a concept introduced in 2017, primarily for people with autism, sensory or communication impairments and learning disabilities. But they are also suitable for children and anyone who finds it difficult to stay still or silent for an extended period. The doors to the auditorium are left open so that audience members can come and go as they please. And there are ‘chill-out’ areas in the foyers for anyone who needs some quiet time before or during the performance. This is ideal for a family that has to bring a baby or toddler along to a concert aimed at its older siblings.
Children’s Proms in 2024
At the Proms 2024, you can bring your toddler to a concert aimed especially at them, as part of the Proms at Bristol Beacon. CBeebies: Ocean Adventure (Monday 26 August, 2 & 4pm) invites children aged up to five to ‘search for endangered creatures, find out fascinating facts and collect sounds and pictures for your very own musical ocean scrapbook’. This is led by BBC children’s television presenters, with music performed by the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Kwamé Ryan.
And on Saturday 27 July, there are two CBeebies: Wildlife Jamboree Proms, celebrating the natural world in music and song. Here, CBeebies characters join the Southbank Sinfonia, BBC Singers and CBeebies East London Schools’ Choir, again conducted by Kwamé Ryan.
The first Children’s Proms in the 1990s
Children’s Proms are a surprisingly recent innovation. They do not feature in Nicholas Kenyon’s The Proms: A New History until the 1990s. The issue of attracting younger audiences is discussed by David Wright in his chapter on ‘The Sixties’. But he means young adults, not children.
It was another 30 years before Kenyon, taking over as controller in 1996 from John Drummond, began to make changes aimed partly at making the Proms feel more inclusive and representative. His first season ended with the first outdoor Prom in the Park, a child-friendly event. But it also included a Junior Prom on the last Monday afternoon of the season, entitled Around the World in Eighty Minutes. Actor Tony Robinson was the audience’s guide on a lightning musical tour of the world. This was designed for children between the ages of six and 14. It featured music performed by the New London Children’s Choir and the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Ronald Corp.
Although this was part of the main season programme, it was not flagged up in the introductory pages of the prospectus at all. Nevertheless, it clearly found its audience, and the concept was repeated by the same forces the following year.
The first Blue Peter Proms
In 1998 there were two performances of a Blue Peter 40th Birthday Prom programme. These were introduced by the TV show’s presenter Katy Hill. The BBC Philharmonic performed works including Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, and extracts from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Debussy’s La mer. Conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier entered into the spirit of the event by assuming the role of Inspector Clouseau in the mystery plot that linked the different pieces.
This established a pattern for children’s concerts linking standard classical repertoire to familiar television shows. Blue Peter Proms have focused on ancient Greek myths and on safaris. And in 2004 the Kagemusha Taiko drummers and a lion dance troupe from a Chinese school in central London joined the BBC Philharmonic to ‘conjure up the spectacular sights and sounds of the Far East’, reflecting a season theme built around a concert by cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble.
The first Doctor Who Proms
The first Doctor Who Prom was in 2008. This opened with Murray Gold’s arrangement of the theme music from the series. It also included a specially filmed scene starring David Tennant, the incarnation of the Doctor at the time. Other works included Holst’s ‘Jupiter’ from The Planets and the UK premiere of The Torino Scale by Mark-Anthony Turnage. By this time, the importance of concerts for younger audiences had been recognised, and the events were given much greater prominence in the Proms Guide.
‘We’ve learnt that kids love the spectacle, the big orchestras, the noises and the humongous Royal Albert Hall,’ wrote Clara Nissen in an essay in the 2010 guide. ‘The recipe for success lies in short, contrasting and exciting pieces that show the breadth of classical music, all introduced by a friendly presenter. Then throw in the odd surprise…’
Children’s Proms can lead to a lifelong appreciation of music
When I asked Facebook friends to share their memories of bringing their children to Proms, a great response came from organist Timothy Noon. He recalled Blue Peter and Doctor Who Proms. His son in particular was a big Doctor Who fan. ‘Did it work? Well, we’re looking forward to seeing our daughter Molly [now a professional singer] in this year’s Voces8 Prom on 9 August!’
Another friend remembered taking her children to one of the BBC Ten Pieces Proms. These were introduced in 2015 to showcase the works that had been used as the basis for music in the primary curriculum over the previous academic year. ‘They did extracts from The Firebird and had a dancer who flew through the audience. That was magical. But a more adult one which they loved was the cellist Abel Selaocoe’s in 2021. Concerts don’t necessarily need to have themes; children can be gripped by the music.’
The first Horrible Histories Proms – Children’s Proms for slightly older kids
The first Horrible Histories Family Prom took place in 2011. This was inspired by the CBBC television series which itself is based on the books by Terry Deary (text) and Martin Brown (illustrations). Composer Richie Webb’s songs from the TV show were interspersed with music by Henry VIII, Lully and Mozart. Actors from the cast also joined the Aurora Orchestra and conductor Nicholas Collon.
The first CBeebies Proms – Children’s Proms for the very youngest kids
Broadening the scope still further to include the very youngest children and their families first happened in 2016. The BBC Concert Orchestra played music representing dinosaurs, pirates, planets and stars in the first CBeebies Prom, A Journey Through Time and Space. And in 2019 the Chineke! orchestra and conductor Kwamé Ryan with a team of CBeebies presenters took children on a similar musical journey. This time they ‘provided them with the special powers they need to lift off into the universe’. There was a special appearance by the Clangers, and music included John Adams’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine.
Marine biologist Rory Crawford was part of the team in 2022 for the first Ocean Adventures Prom. The concert was televised and can still be seen on iPlayer. And the programme has since been performed by different orchestras around the UK. Crawford says it is noticeable that the children in the audience have all watched the filmed concert. Plus they know many CBeebies songs available as standalone films on BBC iPlayer. This means they are familiar with the material and keen to join in.
A parent of a six year-old and a four year-old himself, Crawford says CBeebies is still a popular brand. This is despite the plethora of children’s programming now available on streaming channels. ‘There’s something so special about hearing our little songs performed by a real live orchestra, physically feeling the music… But they love the classical pieces as well.
‘The motto of CBeebies is “everyone is welcome”’, Crawford adds. ‘And it’s great that through these concerts we can include the Proms in that invitation.’