Take Away English-A Great Musical Tradition 伟大的音乐传统

A packed Albert Hall at the BBC Proms

Where can you hear some of best western classical and contemporary music in Britain? The answer is at the annual Proms concerts. Every summer for the past 111 years people have enjoyed the widest possible range of music, performed to the highest standards.

The home of The Proms is The Royal Albert Hall in London, and the name comes from the season’s official title: The Henry Wood Promenade¹ Concerts.

The Proms was the brainchild of the impresario² Robert Newman, manager of the newly³ built Queen's Hall in London.

Together with Henry Wood, the organist, accompanist and conductor, the two man team created a particular philosophy that set the tone⁴ of the Proms in the years to come.

'I am going to run nightly concerts to train the public in easy stages,' explained Newman. 'Popular at first, gradually raising the standard until I have created a public for classical and modern music.'

From the late 1920’s the BBC has organised the Proms concerts. Since 1961 the BBC has commissioned a number of new works⁵ each season, offering Proms audiences a chance to hear the latest in musical trends from contemporary composers.

The festival now includes over 70 main Prom concerts every year. 1996 saw the launch⁶ of Proms in the Park, where huge TV screens show the concerts to audiences in the open air. There have been special events such as 'Choral Day' (1998), and '1000 years of music in a day' (1999).

A total of ten Proms are broadcast on the BBC World Service in English on Saturdays from 1900 China time until the 8th September 2007. Try 11750 and 9740 short wave, or download the latest Prom at www.bbcworldservice.com - enjoy!

GLOSSARY 词汇表
contemporary 当代的 impresario 乐团经理 accompanist 伴奏（唱）者 philosophy 宗旨；哲学 created a public 开创一批受众群 audiences 观众；听众	the widest possible range 应有尽有 organist 风琴手 conductor 指挥 set the tone 定调 commissioned 委托 the open air 露天

 

1 promenade   

n./v.散步

参考例句：

• People came out in smarter clothes to promenade along the front.人们穿上更加时髦漂亮的衣服，沿着海滨散步。
• We took a promenade along the canal after Sunday dinner.星期天晚饭后我们沿着运河散步。

2 impresario   

n.歌剧团的经理人；乐团指挥

参考例句：

• The impresario will present an expanded series of concerts next season.下个季节将举办一次大型的系列音乐会。
• The impresario had buttoned his astrakhan coat.乐团经理扣好了羔皮外套。

3 newly   

adv.新近，最近；重新，再度；以新的方式

参考例句：

• Have you reviewed for this newly published novel?你给这本新出版的小说写书评了吗？
• It is a newly planted tree and it has not established yet.这是一颗新栽的树，还没有扎下根来。

4 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

5 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

6 launch   

vt.发动，推出；发射；n.发射，下水，投产

参考例句：

• The makers are about to launch out a new product.制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。
• Would it be wise to launch into this rough sea?在这样汹涌的大海中游泳明智吗？