BBC PROMS PRESS RELEASE 4.55pm on Facebook

[Ein Heldenleben]

Interesting to read both announcements, from The Times and the BBC. With his ninth season already in the bag, Pickard's is not the shortest tenure: RW did seven (probably with an eighth planned), followed by a suspiciously sudden departure. Drummond did 9/10.

I don’t think there’s anything suspicious in it. At his level you’re only supposed to do those senior management jobs for five years and then move on. I wonder if to save money the stewardship will revert to the R3 controller whom, I think , used to do it in the past. Then of course watch for the recruitment of deputies and Assistants. Thing is the Proms have so many more concerts and venues now it does strike me as a full time gig.

[french frank]

I don’t think there’s anything suspicious in it.

My reason for saying that is that the decision clearly took the BBC by surprise and for the first time they appointed an interim Proms controller (Edward Blakeman) because no one was already lined up to take over. There was a similar (shorter) hiatus in 2014 before Davey took over from Wright as controller, R3.

At his level you’re only supposed to do those senior management jobs for five years and then move on.

Five years at senior management level? He was 18 years as controller, R3. I think (renewable) contracts were for five years, weren't they?

I wonder if to save money the stewardship will revert to the R3 controller whom, I think , used to do it in the past. Then of course watch for the recruitment of deputies and Assistants. Thing is the Proms have so many more concerts and venues now it does strike me as a full time gig.

I think Drummond was actually the first to do both jobs, followed by Kenyon and Wright. The Davey-Pickard team was reverting to the pre- Drummond era.

[Simon B]

Haven't the faintest idea who might be a suitable replacement for him, or whom Sam Jackson might have in mind.

The most likely candidate is... himself perhaps? Wasn't Pickard unusal in not combining the job with that of R3 controller? In these times of cuts, cuts, cuts in the sector it would seem appropriate.

Pickard's tenure has obviously coincided with a tumultuous time for live music and he appears to have done a good job as a steady hand through that. Attendances in 2023 were wholly remarkable when viewed in the context of... every other UK concert/opera series. With the erratic exception of the LSO and Covent Garden these are mostly in an ongoing crisis of funding cuts, fewer, smaller scale events, closed balconies/galleries/etc and budget deficits (to which even Covent Garden definitely isn't immune even with reasonable attendances).

However, while the standards of performance may have been consistently high in 2023 the programming was a low point in an ongoing trend toward the unambitious, aside from a really sparse scattering of exceptions. It's probably a triumph of hope over expectation to anticipate this changing under a new controller.

[Ein Heldenleben]

My reason for saying that is that the decision clearly took the BBC by surprise and for the first time they appointed an interim Proms controller (Edward Blakeman) because no one was already lined up to take over. There was a similar (shorter) hiatus in 2014 before Davey took over from Wright as controller, R3.



Five years at senior management level? He was 18 years as controller, R3. I think (renewable) contracts were for five years, weren't they?



I think Drummond was actually the first to do both jobs, followed by Kenyon and Wright. The Davey-Pickard team was reverting to the pre- Drummond era.

Looking at wiki it appears both Glock and Ponsonby also ran the Proms. I distinctly remember recording an interview with the latter in the 80’s about the upcoming season.

[french frank]

Looking at wiki it appears both Glock and Ponsonby also ran the Proms. I distinctly remember recording an interview with the latter in the 80’s about the upcoming season.

But were they also controllers of the Third Programme/Radio 3? Wasn't it something called something like 'Controller of Music'?

[Ein Heldenleben]

But were they also controllers of the Third Programme/Radio 3? Wasn't it something called something like 'Controller of Music'?

Yes indeed - that’s what I was driving at in my original post. They were both Controller R3 and Proms. Nick Kenyon also ended up running TV classical music. Where it gets confusing is when a controller left R3 but kept for the Proms for a season (or more ) presumably to see out their bookings. Or maybe it was offered as a post ousting sop? The traditional berth is “Special Projects “ of course,

[Opinionated Knowall]

Glock was never Controller of the Third Programme (later Radio 3). He was Controller, Music (CMus) which included being Director of the Proms. When Ponsonby, as CMus, ran the Proms, Ian Macintyre was CR3. Drummond took over as CMus (and the Proms) from Ponsonby, subsequently becoming CR3 as well, when the post of CMus disappeared. Kenyon did the same (Proms then combining it with CR3). Roger Wright did it the other way around, becoming CR3 before taking over the Proms. Pickard is the first since Ponsonby to have taken on the Proms, and then not subsequently been appointed CR3. Perhaps that was at least part of the reason for his departure?

[french frank]

Yes indeed - that’s what I was driving at in my original post. They were both Controller R3 and Proms.

No, they were both Controller of Music, and of the Proms. During Glock's time Howard Newby was Controller of the Third (becoming Controller R3 in 1967) and Stephen Hearst and Ian McIntyre were Controllers, R3, in Ponsonby's time. It may have been under Drummond that the separate Music Division was abolished and he became Controller of R3 and the Proms.

That Opinionated Knowall got in while I was still checking my facts

[Barbirollians]

It was a good season last year as if he were just getting into his stride.

[french frank]

It was a good season last year as if he were just getting into his stride.

Pickard? Yes. And with Davey-Jackson he would have probably had more of a free rein than under, eg RW or other controllers.