Cellist says Rule, Britannia! be dropped from Last Night Of The Proms
- The Rule, Britannia! sing-along is a spotlight of the Royal Albert Hall live performance
- There have been calls to ban the track on account of its position within the British slave commerce
The celebrated black cellist who carried out at Prince Harry‘s wedding ceremony to Meghan Markle is asking for flag-waving anthem Rule, Britannia! to be dropped from the Last Night Of The Proms.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, 24, tells at the moment’s Desert Island Discs that when he carried out ultimately yr’s Last Night he left early to keep away from listening to the track.
The lengthy custom of a sing-along rendition of Rule, Britannia! is a spotlight of the annual Royal Albert Hall live performance.
But there have been calls to ban it as some see it as too celebratory of Britain’s imperial previous and its position within the slave commerce.
The track, which originates from James Thomson’s 1740 poem Rule, Britannia and is ready to music by Thomas Arne, accommodates the road: ‘Britons by no means will likely be slaves’.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, 24, tells at the moment’s Desert Island Discs that when he carried out ultimately yr’s Last Night he left early to keep away from listening to Rule, Britannia! being performed
The celebrated black cellist carried out at Prince Harry ‘s wedding ceremony to Meghan Markle
The viewers take part singing ‘Rule Britannia’ on the final night time of the Proms on the Royal Albert Hall on September 11, 2010
Kanneh-Mason tells Desert Island Discs: ‘I do not suppose it must be included and I did not keep for that. That’s simply my opinion. I believe perhaps some folks do not realise how uncomfortable a track like that may make lots of people really feel.
‘The wealth of people music from this nation is astonishing. I believe that might be an exquisite factor to take its place.’
The BBC was branded woke in 2020 when it introduced that solely instrumental variations of Rule, Britannia! and Land Of Hope And Glory can be carried out at that yr’s occasion.
It later backed down within the face of a public backlash.
l Desert Island Discs is on BBC Radio 4 at the moment at 11.15am and is obtainable by way of BBC Sounds
