
The BBC’s venerable series of Albert Hall Promenade Concerts has just kicked off and if you take a look at the varied and esoteric programme you might just find something of interest!
You see on Saturday July 15th (tonight in fact) the Proms turn their musical spotlight onto Northern Soul! We’re told that the BBC Symphony Orchestra will perform a programme of Northern “classics”. The tunes have been curated by Stuart Maconie – maybe best known as a champion of indie music – but he does hail from Wigan, so lets’ wait and see.
The BBC’s PR people say that the evening will be “a stomping celebration of British club culture brings a symphonic edge to the beats that took English towns across the industrial North and Midlands by storm in the 1960s and 1970s. What began as a celebration of forgotten American soul B-sides became a euphoric release at all-night dances for factory workers. “
Sounds a little patronising to me, but, again, let’s wait and see. The programme lists 5 vocalists – Vula Malinga, Frida Touray, Brendan Reilly, Nick Shirm and Darrell Smith and mentions that amongst the items will be ‘You’re Gonna Make Me Love You’, ‘Open the Door to Your Heart’, ‘It Really Hurts Me Girl’, ‘Hold Back the Night’, ‘Time Will Pass You By’ and ‘Just Like the Weather’. During the interval, Stuart Maconie will talk to Georgia Mann about the music in the concert and about the “heady days” of the 60s and 70s. It’ll be interesting to hear what he says.
The Northern Soul Prom will be broadcast tonight – July 15th on BBC Radio 5 @ 20.00.