Join Proms on its traditional Last Night celebration, featuring a selection of music certain to inspire and entertain. Elgar’s beautiful song cycle, Sea Pictures sets poems by different authors to explore the sea's power, romanticism and mystery. Set for contralto or mezzo soprano, it is performed at St Jude’s by Helen Charlston, whose voice has been described by the Evening Standard as ‘little short of miraculous’. 

Walton’s patriotic, march-like fanfare and depiction of the construction of the iconic Spitfire aircraft written for the film The First of the Few (1942) opens the programme and in the second half Prokofiev’s first symphony playfully mimics the style of Haydn and Mozart while incorporating modern twists. The evening ends with popular arias and songs, with an invitation for the audience to sing along. Paul Hoskins has been Director of Music at The Purcell School since 2018. The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra includes exceptionally talented musicians whose repertoire includes classical works as well as contemporary pieces by living composers.