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Last Night of the Proms 2025

Bill Bailey's Proms debut, Louise Alder sings My Fair Lady & Alison Balsom plays Hummel. Brian May & Roger Taylor join the party to mark the 50th anniversary of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor join the ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the ĢƵ Singers and the National Youth Choir for a brand new orchestral arrangement of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, marking its 50th anniversary. Comedian Bill Bailey makes his ĢƵ Proms debut with Leroy Anderson’s The Typewriter. Elim Chan conducts the Last Night of the Proms for the first time, leading the ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the ĢƵ Singers and the National Youth Choir. French mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel joins the massed forces for the UK premiere of Arthur Benjamin's ‘Storm Clouds’ Cantata written for the assassination scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 1934 film, The Man Who Knew Too Much, in the Royal Albert Hall. Louise Alder becomes the first British soprano to sing at the Last Night of the Proms in more than a decade and tonight marks Alison Balsom’s final performance as a trumpet soloist.
The programme also includes two world premieres commissioned by the ĢƵ: Fireworks by Camille Pépin and The Gathering Tree by Rachel Portman, who's the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Original Score.

Presented by Georgia Mann and Petroc Trelawny, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London

Modest Mussorgsky: A Night on the Bare Mountain (original version, 1867)
Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Trumpet Concerto in E flat major with Alison Balsom, trumpet
Lucy Walker: Today with ĢƵ Singers (a cappella)
Arthur Benjamin: ‘Storm Clouds’ Cantata 1956 – UK premiere with Axelle Saint-Cirel, mezzo-soprano, ĢƵ Singers and ĢƵ Symphony Chorus
Charles Gounod: Faust – ‘O Dieu! que de bijoux … Ah! je ris de me voir’ (Jewel Song) with Louise Alder, soprano
Franz Lehár: The Merry Widow - Es lebt’ eine Vilja’ (Vilja Song) with Louise Alder, ĢƵ Singers and ĢƵ Symphony Chorus
Camille Pépin: Fireworks (ĢƵ commission: world premiere)
Paul Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Freddie Mercury/Queen, arr. Stuart Morley: Bohemian Rhapsody with Sam Oladeinde, Louise Alder, Alison Balsom, ĢƵ Singers, National Youth Choir, ĢƵ Symphony Chorus and special guest appearances from Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor
Dmitri Shostakovich: Festive Overture
Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe, arr. Paul Campbell: My Fair Lady – medley (Wouldn’t it be Loverly – Without You – On the Street Where you Live – Show Me – I Could Have Danced All Night) with Louise Alder and ĢƵ Singers
Leonard Bernstein, arr. Simon Wright: Prelude, Fugues and Riffs – Riffs with Alison Balsom
Leroy Anderson, arr. Alasdair Malloy: The Typewriter with Bill Bailey
Rachel Portman and text: Nick Drake: The Gathering Tree (ĢƵ commission: world premiere) with ĢƵ Singers and ĢƵ Symphony Chorus
Trad., arr. Henry Wood: Fantasia on British Sea Songs
Thomas Arne, arr. Malcolm Sargent: Rule, Britannia! with Louise Alder
Edward Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1
Hubert Parry, arr. Edward Elgar: Jerusalem
arr. Benjamin Britten: The National Anthem
Trad., arr. Paul Campbell: Auld Lang Syne

Louise Alder, soprano
Alison Balsom, trumpet
Axelle Saint-Cirel, mezzo soprano
Bill Bailey, typewriter
Sam Oladeinde, tenor
Sir Brian May, electric guitar
Roger Taylor, drums
National Youth Choir
ĢƵ Singers
ĢƵ Symphony Chorus
Neil Ferris, chorusmaster
ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra
Elim Chan, conductor

The biggest night in classical music is back! After eight weeks and over 80 concerts, the 2025 ĢƵ Proms celebrates with a Last Night spectacular, packed with musical surprises and star turns. Elim Chan conducts the ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in all the traditional favourites – anthems, folk songs and singalongs – with solo performances by ‘captivating’ soprano Louise Alder and ‘sensational’ trumpeter Alison Balsom. There’s a nod to this season’s Bernard Herrmann celebration, a mischievous sorcerer’s apprentice from Dukas, and premieres by Camille Pépin and Rachel Portman.

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Wed 31 Dec 2025 19:00

Music Played

  • Modest Mussorgsky

    A Night on the Bare Mountain (original version 1867)

    Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Johann Nepomuk Hummel

    Trumpet Concerto in E Flat

    Performer: Alison Balsom. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Lucy Walker

    Today

    Choir: ĢƵ Singers. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Arthur Benjamin

    Storm Clouds - Cantata

    Performer: Axelle Saint‐Cirel. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan. Choir: ĢƵ Singers. Choir: ĢƵ Symphony Chorus.
  • Charles Gounod

    Faust: 'O Dieu! que de bijoux ... Ah! je ris de me voir' (Jewel Song)

    Singer: Louise Alder. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Franz Lehár

    The Merry Widow 'Es lebt' eine Vilja' (Vilja Song)

    Singer: Louise Alder. Choir: ĢƵ Singers. Choir: ĢƵ Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Camille Pépin

    Fireworks

    Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Paul Dukas

    The Sorcerer's Apprentice

    Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Freddie Mercury

    Bohemian Rhapsody

    Composer: Queen. Performer: Sir Brian May. Performer: Roger Taylor. Performer: Alison Balsom. Music Arranger: Stuart Morley. Singer: Louise Alder. Choir: National Youth Choir. Choir: ĢƵ Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Festive Overture Op.96

    Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Alan Jay Lerner

    My Fair Lady - Medley

    Composer: Frederick Loewe. Music Arranger: Paul Campbell. Singer: Louise Alder. Choir: ĢƵ Singers. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Leonard Bernstein

    Riffs from: Prelude, Fugue and Riffs

    Performer: Alison Balsom. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Leroy Anderson

    The Typewriter

    Performer: Bill Bailey. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Rachel Portman

    The Gathering Tree

    Choir: ĢƵ Singers. Choir: ĢƵ Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Thomas Arne

    Rule, Britannia!

    Music Arranger: Malcolm Sargent. Singer: Louise Alder. Choir: ĢƵ Singers. Choir: ĢƵ Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Edward Elgar

    Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 in D Op.39 No.1 'Land of Hope and Glory'

    Choir: ĢƵ Singers. Choir: ĢƵ Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Hubert Parry

    Jerusalem

    Music Arranger: Edward Elgar. Choir: ĢƵ Singers. Choir: ĢƵ Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.
  • Trad.

    Auld lang syne

    Music Arranger: Paul Campbell. Choir: ĢƵ Singers. Choir: ĢƵ Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: ĢƵ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.

Broadcast

  • Wed 31 Dec 2025 19:00