The opening night of the year 2000 Proms season was an exciting mix of musical periods and styles. There were over 1000 promenaders packed into the central well and 3000 plus in the seats. The programme started with Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man; an exciting performance by the BBC Symphony Orchestra which was conducted by Colin Davis, sadly his last opening night. To quote Copeland:

It is very attractive to set down some sort of permanent statement about the way we feel, so that when its all gone, people will be able to go to our art works to see what is was like to be alive in our time and place: 20th Century America.

This was followed by Toccata and Fugue in D minor by JS Bach. This was not the organ solo which most people know, but the orchestral arrangement by Leopold Stokowski which featured, to great effect, in the film Fantasia.

Then came the crowning performance. Evgeny Kissin, nearing 30, but who made his first public appearance at the age of ten, gave a superb performance of the Piano Concerto no 2 in C minor by Sergei Rachmaninov. His interpretation of this piece was full of emotion and enthralled the audience so much that he played two encores; these were preludes, also by Rachmaninov, in G minor and Bb major.

After the interval, during which the BBC broadcast a fun musical quiz, the orchestra was joined by the BBC Symphony Chorus and Singers and Simon Preston on the organ. They plunged into the impressive Glagolitic Mass by Janacek. Of his own composition Janacek said:

My mass will be quite different from those of other composers. I will show people how to talk to God.

This mass is unusual in that it was not really written to be performed in church, but more as a celebration of man's relationship with his god. It owes a lot to the more orthodox form of the Christian Religion and boasts inspiring solos by the singers and the organist (the 32-foot Diapaison Pedal reverberated around the room long after the organist had moved on to another note), as well as requiring virtuoso performances by members of the orchestra.

All in all this was a brilliant start to the year 2000 season of concerts, which ended on 9 September. You can find all the information you need about the Proms by visiting The Proms Site or you can read the h2g2 Edited Guide Entry on The Promenade Concerts. If you get the opportunity, go and promenade. If not, you can listen to all the concerts over the web!