Hannah Waddingham, an actress and singer who has been honoured with an Emmy Award, will be taking on the role of presenter for an evening filled with orchestral compositions drawn from the realms of film, television, and gaming. This musical event will encompass cherished titles like Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and World of Warcraft. Guided by their new Chief Conductor, Anna-Maria Helsing, the BBC Concert Orchestra will take the stage, accompanied by Mezzo Soprano Felicity Buckland and The Huddersfield Choral Society.
This Promenade Concert will be broadcast in real-time on BBC Radio 3 and Sounds for a span of 30 days. Additionally, it will be captured on film for television viewers, with an edited rendition set to air on BBC Two at 7.50pm on Saturday, 2nd September. The performance will also be available for streaming on BBC iPlayer for a duration of 12 months.
Hannah Waddingham says: “I am thrilled to be back at the magnificent Royal Albert Hall after hosting the 2023 Olivier Awards here earlier in the year. Having performed at the Proms before, and having played Septa Unella in Game of Thrones I cannot wait to present a programme of some of the most-loved music from the fantasy genre. It’s going to be magical!”
Hannah Waddingham’s prior appearance at the BBC Proms took place in 2016, during which she lent her voice to excerpts from Kiss Me Kate and The Boys from Syracuse. She shared the stage with the BBC Concert Orchestra in a concert that showcased some of the finest compositions derived from stage and screen adaptations of Shakespearean works.
The Fantasy, Myths and Legends Prom programme at the Royal Albert Hall is as follows:
The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring Symphonic Suite – Howard Shore, orchestrated by J. C. Whitney
Game of Thrones Suite – Ramin Djawadi, arranged and orchestrated by John Langley
El amor brujo (excerpts) – De Falla
Good Omens – Main Theme – David Arnold, arranged and orchestrated by N. Dodd
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Hedwig’s Theme – John Williams
The Firebird – suite (revised version, 1919) – ‘Berceuse’ and ‘Finale’ – Stravinsky
A Night on the Bare Mountain – Mussorgsky, orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov
His Dark Materials – Medley (BBC Commission: world premiere of medley) – Lorne Balfe, orchestrated by Bernard Duc
My Neighbour Totoro for Orchestra – Joe Hisaishi
Malach, the Angel Messenger, from World of Warcraft – Eimear Noone
Peer Gynt, Op 23 (In the Hall of the Mountain King) – Grieg
Duel of the Fates from Star Wars – John Williams
The BBC Proms 2023, currently in its sixth week of the eight-week season, has garnered record audiences across BBC television and Radio 3. The First Night’s TV viewing figures on BBC Two and iPlayer reached 1 million during the live broadcast, marking a 14-year high. Additionally, the number of listens on Radio 3 and BBC Sounds over the first weekend exceeded all previous records.
The upcoming televised BBC Proms are as follows, with further broadcast Proms details to be announced in due course:
John Wilson celebrates Rachmaninov at the Proms – BBC Four on Friday 25th August, 7pm
Northern Soul at the Proms – BBC Two on Saturday 26th August, 7.45pm
Mindful Mix at the Proms – BBC Four on Sunday 27th August, 8pm
Sir Simon Rattle conducts Mahler’s Ninth – BBC Two on Wednesday 30th August, 7.30pm
Chineke! performs Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony – BBC Four on Friday 1st September, 8pm
Fantasy Film Music at the Proms – BBC Two on Saturday 2nd September, 7.50pm
The ongoing Proms available for streaming on BBC iPlayer encompass the First Night of the Proms, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Beethoven’s Fifth, Beethoven’s Ninth, Bollywood at the Proms, Bomsori’s rendition of Bruch, NYO Jazz (USA) featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, Isata Kannah-Mason performing Prokofiev, Yuja Wang’s rendition of Rachmaninov, Felix Klieser’s interpretation of Mozart, the Budapest Festival Orchestra with András Schiff, and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain with Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha.
