Letter: Last note on the Proms

From Mr Dafydd Price Jones

Sir: I offer John Walsh (Diary, 31 August) a little Promenade illumination.

The Promenaders in the arena of the Albert Hall often yell messages to their fellow-Prommers in the gallery, and vice versa. For example, last Monday night the cry went up:

Arena to gallery: programmes are being given away free tonight to all promenaders over the age of 360.

The concert was a performance of an opera about a 337-year-old woman: The Makro-poulos Case by Janacek.

For the record, and lest Prommers think him even more naff than his comments suggest, John Walsh should also note that the Fantasia on British Sea- Songs played at every Last Night is by the Proms' begetter, Henry Wood, and not William Walton. And, I'm sure that Bryn Terfel (aka Meat Loaf), the Welsh bass-baritone, just loves being referred to as a "beefy matron".

It was he who sang all the verses of Rule Britannia (including one in Welsh), at last year's Last Night, wearing a Wales rugby shirt.

Yours,

Dafydd Price Jones

Finchampstead,

Berkshire

31 August