Town & Country
Let’s get this party started
IT is testament to the romance of Victoria and Albert that, on March 29, 1871, the then Prince of Wales declared the Royal Albert Hall (RAH) officially open because his widowed mother was too overcome with emotion to speak.
Since its dramatic inception, this modern-day Coliseum, the jewel of Albertopolis (see March 24 issue), has hosted everything from the Proms to the Miss World contest and everyone from Wagner and Einstein (above) to Frank Bruno and Pink Floyd (guess which of these was banned in 1969 for firing cannons from the stage).
Although we can’t enjoy the thrill of a crowd at the RAH for a few more months, we can look forward to celebrating its 150th anniversary. Plans include (July), for which Bond composer David Arnold will be joined by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and Chelsea Pensioners; Nitin Sawhney’s ‘Journeys—150 years of Immigration’ (October); Matthew Bourne’s , a reimagining of Bizet’s (June); and celebrations for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 75th anniversary.
