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As much as this is the most British spectacle of 'britishness', you'll find all manners of flags represented from all over continental Europe. Note the Dutch flag!

The Royal Albert Hall, Last Night of the Proms

McCain might be a "Georgian", but I'm a "Promenader." I'm really an anglophile who somehow, should've ended up emigrating to England as opposed to Canada. It was one of those fork in the roads that to this day makes me wonder; did I make the right choice?

I will talk about by life's journey at a later point, perhaps even in a separate blog as this blog has really been an outlet for my political opinions etc.

I moved away from the Netherlands on a very rainy Monday morning, September 24th 1984. My mom drove me to the Hague as the Canadian embassy was lax in sending me the visa I needed (requested months prior, idiots) plus my passport that they had requested for the visa so I could board my flight in Amsterdam Airport to Montreal Canada where I was going to go for a one year employment as a nanny.

flying over Holland

The Saturday prior, I did what I had done for years; I watched the last two hours of the Last Night of the Proms. The last two hours are/were (?) always televised and the first two hours broadcast were broadcast on the radio. I borrowed a friends' radio who could receive the BBC so I could tape, with my tape recorder, the whole thing.

I will explain more in full when I make some changes as suggested by a dear friend.

For now I will tell you that the opening number of the 1984 Last Night of the Proms, performed as always at the Royal Albert Hall, conducted by the scottish director James Laughran (unusual as it was always considered a "British" thing but JL was conductor of the BBC Scottish orchestra so hey, some british connection there)..

White Cliffs of Dover

I keep digressing. The opening number performed then is one of those pieces that make my eyes swell up with tears, my heart and being cry, and my mind to be filled with images of England; landscapes, and for some weird reason..the white cliffs of Dover. Don't ask. I'm not an overly sentimental person (perhaps only deep inside), and I've never ever seen the white cliffs of Dover. One things' for sure, I need to write. Music equals images equals bits and snippets of 'stories'..

If ANYONE can ever somehow send me a video of that 1984 Last Night of the Proms performance which includes Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Serenade to Music", which had the most beautiful, tenderest rendition..I would be very thankful. Youtube does not have it. I have not found it. The BBC never could oblige either..I've tried. Does anyone have any leads for me?

For now, this is what I found. Not a whole orchestral piece but one with violin and piano and about 15 voices. It is still a beautiful rendition they do a wonderful job.
Thank You Hirowaki.