{"id":45029,"date":"2024-07-19T15:14:59","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T13:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5577d3ce-83cf-4226-97a7-cd5a79ef6366"},"modified":"2024-07-19T15:36:06","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T13:36:06","slug":"sleepers-and-scowlers-lovebirds-and-last-nighters-your-ultimate-bbc-proms-spotters-guide","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/sleepers-and-scowlers-lovebirds-and-last-nighters-your-ultimate-bbc-proms-spotters-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleepers and Scowlers, Lovebirds and Last-Nighters: your ultimate BBC Proms spotter\u2019s guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\"><\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Friday, 19 July 2024 at 13:14 PM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p><strong>With the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/proms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BBC Proms<\/a> getting underway again, we proudly present our ultimate Proms spotter&#8217;s guide: your comprehensive field guide to spotting the 15 stereotypical Proms types. <\/strong><\/p><p><strong>The BBC Proms, especially, are renowned for attracting diverse audiences. No other concert series boasts an audience of such variety &#8211; old and young, experienced hands and first-timers, smart suits and sweaty t-shirts \u2013 all mingle together happily at the world\u2019s greatest music festival. However, for all that variety, some concert-goers do tend to fit into readily identifiable types. <\/strong><\/p><p><strong>Some of these are specific to the Proms, some you\u2019ll find in any concert hall anywhere in the world. Here, in a one-off spotter\u2019s guide, we\u2019ve picked out 15 of our favourite types, from the can\u2019t-miss-\u2019ems to slightly rarer beasts. If you\u2019re heading to the Proms, do keep an eye out for the following&#8230;<\/strong><\/p><script src=\"https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/players\/YCjcY8vg-lqFafnwo.js\"\/><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-promenaders\"><strong>1. Promenaders<\/strong><\/h2><p>No prizes for spotting these Proms regulars \u2013 there are hundreds of them, right at the very heart of the <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.royalalberthall.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Albert Hall<\/a><\/strong>. These are the enthusiastic souls who have paid their fiver to queue for hours, stand rather than sit\u2026 and enjoy the best position in the house. As a rule, you\u2019ll see the Season Ticket holders on the left of the Arena, the Day Ticket holders on the right.<\/p><p>The closer to the front they are standing, meanwhile, the longer they are likely to have been queuing \u2013 for a big-hitting Prom such as a <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/topic\/richard-wagner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wagner<\/a><\/strong> opera or <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/topic\/gustav-mahler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mahler<\/a><\/strong> Symphony, the real die-hards will have bagged their slot at the top of the South Steps as early as eight in the morning. Whether their various jollities \u2013 the shouts of \u2018heave\u2019, \u2018ho\u2019 and all that malarkey \u2013 amuse, bemuse or simply irritate largely depends on how charitable you\u2019re feeling. Soloists, orchestras and conductors, however, view them with almost unanimous affection.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man - BBC Proms 2012\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZdqjcMmjeaA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-charity-collectors\"><strong>2. Charity Collectors<\/strong><\/h2><p>Unless you\u2019re very late returning from the bar at the end of the interval, you\u2019re also unlikely to miss this particular sub-species of Promenader. Just before the musicians make their return to the stage, a familiar chant emerges from the front left of the hall: \u2018Shhhhh. Arena to audience\u2026\u2019<\/p><p>A chorus of Season Ticket holders then proceed to inform us, in immaculately observed unison, how much they and their bucket-wielding friends have been raising for charity over the season. After several hearings, the message \u2013 or, more to the point, its means of delivery \u2013 does admittedly lose a little of its initial charm. But don\u2019t be churlish, and do give generously. It is, after all, for a very good cause.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-conductors\"><strong>3. Conductors<\/strong><\/h2><p>No, not the chap (or lady) with the smart jacket and baton up on stage. That\u2019s the real conductor. We\u2019re talking about the various self-appointed maestros in the seats (or Arena) here. Take a look around the hall during the more animated moments of, say, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/topic\/ludwig-van-beethoven\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Beethoven<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Seventh or Mahler\u2019s Sixth symphonies and you\u2019d be surprised how many there are.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 | Bernard Haitink &amp; the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (2009)\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Rd0HnxWm5CY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>Some restrain themselves to a the occasional hand flicker; others go for the full-blown, arm-waving, orchestra-directing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/leonard-bernstein\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Leonard Bernstein<\/a><\/strong>. There are even those that indulge in a little humming along with the music. This is less endearing.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-performers\"><strong>4. Performers<\/strong><\/h2><p>In this instance, we <em>do<\/em> mean the person on stage. Or, rather the person who has been on stage. Is there any more heart-warming sight than that of the player who dazzled us with his or her concerto skills in the first half of a concert now taking a seat in the audience at the beginning of the second \u2013 usually after a quick change of clothes \u2013 ready to support and appreciate their fellow performers? Relatively rare, but great when it happens.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-sleepers\"><strong>5. Sleepers<\/strong><\/h2><p>The polar opposites of the Conductors (No. 4) are those concert-goers who lull themselves into such a state of relaxation that the eyelids start to droop, the posture slumps\u2026 and they are soon happily in the Land of Nod. Such slumbers can last whole movements, even symphonies, but chances are that there will at some point be a loud crash on the timps or cymbals to stir them from their dreams.<\/p><p>Talking of which, if you do spot a dozing concert-goer and you know such a moment is coming, do keep watching \u2013 that sudden lurch upright in their seat is one of life\u2019s more amusing spectacles. Midway through the opening movement of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/topic\/pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tchaikovsky<\/a>\u2019<\/strong>s Sixth Symphony is always a happy hunting ground for this\u2026<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-reviewers\"><strong>6. Reviewers<\/strong><\/h2><p>Of course, catching a few zzzzzs is not an option available to the music critic, who has to be alert to each and every nuance in the performance. Even as a <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/topic\/george-frideric-handel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Handel<\/a><\/strong> opera ambles into its third hour on a warm, drowsy Sunday afternoon, these sharp-eared hawks of the concert hall have to remain wide awake, pen eagerly in hand. Well, that\u2019s the theory at least.<\/p><p>Once the realm of the broadsheets alone, the rows of critics\u2019 seats are today also filled by all manner of self-styled internet bloggers and have-a-go hacks who, while going unpaid for their efforts, have at least worked out that submitting a few words online is a fine way to secure some of the best tickets available. Canny fellows.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-completists\"><strong>7. Completists<\/strong><\/h2><p>The Proms are rightly famous for welcoming first-time concert-goers, fresh-faced students, occasional classical dabblers and multi-national visitors looking for their cultural fix while in London. But let\u2019s hear it, too, for the die-hard enthusiasts. Unassuming, often alone, there they are at each and every concert, usually in pretty much the same spot.<\/p><p>With impressively unbreakable powers of concentration, they lap up every single note. Any concert missed, for whatever cause, is a serious reason for regret. No concert hall should be without them.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-8-scowlers\"><strong>8. Scowlers<\/strong><\/h2><p>To these tortured types, everyone and everything \u2013 coughing, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/cbso-to-allow-filming-of-its-classical-concerts\">phone use<\/a><\/strong>, shifting in one\u2019s seat, reading one\u2019s programme, clapping in the wrong place, enthusiasm in general, breathing \u2013 serves as a distraction from the performance, an irritant to be met with an accusing, acerbic glare.<\/p><p>Ironically, though, by making so manifest their feelings of disgust at every little micro-movement, the Scowlers themselves then become a disturbance to others around them. Truth be told, sharing their listening space with 5,500 others probably isn\u2019t their ideal environment\u2026<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-9-mobile-phoners\"><strong>9. Mobile phoners<\/strong><\/h2><p>That said, when it comes to phones, the Scowlers do have a point. By and large, most concert-goers do at least remember to put their mobiles on silent these days. Hurrah. But that, however, doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they\u2019ve turned the blighters off. <\/p><p>As obsessive texting, filming, Tweeting and Facebooking have become a part of our daily lives, will we soon start to see Prommers looking for a quick chance to grab a snap of themselves gurning merrily in front of the cello section mid-symphony? Hmmm. Much as though one wants concerts to feel as relaxed as possible, there are limits\u2026<\/p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/audiences-want-more-modern-concert-experience-says-rpo-survey\">Audiences want more modern concert experience, says RPO survey<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-10-lovebirds\"><strong>10. Lovebirds<\/strong><\/h2><p>By their very nature these types come in pairs. Yes, we\u2019re delighted they\u2019re in love. And yes, we appreciate that, having been at separate places of work, they haven\u2019t seen each other for a whole, full day. But are the bangs and crashes of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/topic\/ralph-vaughan-williams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vaughan Williams<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s bellicose Fourth Symphony really the time and place for getting all touchy-feely? We don\u2019t want to even start imagining what they might get up to during, say, Wagner's <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/guide-wagners-tristan-und-isolde\">Tristan und Isolde<\/a><\/strong><\/em> or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/alexander-scriabin\">Scriabin<\/a><\/strong>'s <em>Poem of Ecstasy<\/em>.<\/p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/romantic-classical-music-inspired-love\">Romantic classical music: the best pieces inspired by love<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-11-minors\"><strong>11. Minors<\/strong><\/h2><p>There are two types of children who go to concerts. Actually, correct that. There are two types of parents who take children to concerts. First, those who have worked out that kids largely respond well to events that are specifically aimed at them, or at least have some element of orchestral colour or percussive bish, bash and bosh to spark their youthful imagination. And second, those who reckon the filigree delights of a lengthy 18th-century French opera are as good a place for their brood to start as any.<\/p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-classical-music-for-children\">Classical music for kids: ten works to help spark a lifelong love of music<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><p>You\u2019ll see the former type leaving the hall accompanied by a family buzzing with excitement and enthusiasm and asking if they can come again soon. The latter\u2019s children, meanwhile, are almost certainly now refusing to speak to their parents, quite possibly forever.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-12-recliners\"><strong>12. Recliners<\/strong><\/h2><p>Aaaah. The Late Night Proms, when the early evening crowds have headed home and the roominess of the Royal Albert Hall is revealed. This is when, down in the Arena and way up in the Gallery, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-prommer\">Prommers<\/a><\/strong> find enough space to spread themselves out, lie back, close their eyes and let the glorious music fill their ears. Recliners are not, incidentally, to be confused with Sleepers (No. 6).<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-13-coughers\"><strong>13. Coughers<\/strong><\/h2><p>We all know the feeling. Having entered the hall with gloriously clear airwaves, the moment the conductor lifts his baton, you feel that devilish little tickle creeping insidiously into the back of your throat. And as the music gets quieter, it makes its presence increasingly felt.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Top 5 Interrupted Classical Performances!\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0T9jqRHWKmk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>What to do? Wait in agony for a crescendo, or end one\u2019s misery with a hearty cough, risking the wrath of a potential Scowler (No. 8)? Research in Germany has recently revealed that people inside a concert hall cough at over twice the frequency than they do outside it. We can well believe it.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-14-score-readers\"><strong>14. Score readers<\/strong><\/h2><p>All too easily derided as eccentric boffins as they avidly follow the performance note-by-note in front of them, the score readers are in fact onto something. No matter how well you might think you know a work by ear, you\u2019d be surprised just how many little moments of brilliance on the part of both composers and performers become apparent when reading the music at the same time. Don\u2019t believe us? Do try it\u2026 though promise not to \u2018tut\u2019 every time you spot a wrong note, fluffed entry or iffy tempo decision.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-15-last-nighters\"><strong>15. Last-Nighters<\/strong><\/h2><p>Decked in flags, merrily singing \u2018<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/why-land-hope-and-glory-bbc-proms\">Land of Hope and Glory<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 and laughing uproariously at even the lamest joke in the conductor\u2019s speech, the Last Night revellers are how many like to imagine the typical Proms audience. Which, in a way, they are, as those who get to attend the final festivities are there as a result of their loyalty over the season.<\/p><p>However, this is the only one of the 90-plus concerts at which you\u2019ll see the posh frocks and DJs. And no, when all is done and dusted, they are not deflated, folded up and put in a large Albert Hall cupboard labelled \u2018Audience\u2019. Instead they return to normal, everyday life\u2026 until the Proms fun begins again ten months later.<\/p><p><em>Illustration: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/davidlyttleton.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">David Lyttleton <\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p><p><em>This article originally appeared in the <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/issue\/july-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">July 2013<\/a><\/strong> issue of BBC Music Magazine<\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Published: Friday, 19 July 2024 at 13:14 PM With the BBC Proms getting underway again, we proudly present our ultimate Proms spotter&#8217;s guide: your comprehensive field guide to spotting the 15 stereotypical Proms types. The BBC Proms, especially, are renowned for attracting diverse audiences. No other concert series boasts an audience of such variety [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":45030,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"8"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/sleepers-and-scowlers-lovebirds-and-last-nighters-your-ultimate-bbc-proms-spotters-guide.jpg",625,582,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/sleepers-and-scowlers-lovebirds-and-last-nighters-your-ultimate-bbc-proms-spotters-guide-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/sleepers-and-scowlers-lovebirds-and-last-nighters-your-ultimate-bbc-proms-spotters-guide-300x279.jpg",300,279,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/sleepers-and-scowlers-lovebirds-and-last-nighters-your-ultimate-bbc-proms-spotters-guide.jpg",625,582,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/sleepers-and-scowlers-lovebirds-and-last-nighters-your-ultimate-bbc-proms-spotters-guide.jpg",625,582,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/sleepers-and-scowlers-lovebirds-and-last-nighters-your-ultimate-bbc-proms-spotters-guide.jpg",625,582,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/sleepers-and-scowlers-lovebirds-and-last-nighters-your-ultimate-bbc-proms-spotters-guide.jpg",625,582,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Friday, 19 July 2024 at 13:14 PM With the BBC Proms getting underway again, we proudly present our ultimate Proms spotter&#8217;s guide: your comprehensive field guide to spotting the 15 stereotypical Proms types. The BBC Proms, especially, are renowned for attracting diverse audiences. No other concert series boasts an audience of such variety&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/45029"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}