BBC Proms

She's won all the awards and holds roles of Associate Composer with the Oxford Leader Festival, Composer-in-Residence positions with Ranbert Dance, London Oriana Choir and others, and recently was the Visiting Research Fellow at Merton and then Keeble College Oxford.

She was commissioned to write a piece for the BBC Proms to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, which we'll hear about, and she's collaborated with so many people and groups and finds so many aspects of life inspiring.

It was so inspiring for Sean and I to talk to Cheryl, and we were both really struck by her unpretentious, self-facing way in which she told us that despite being a fantastic composer whose music we both admire, she still faces the same challenge that anyone writing music does, occasional self-doubt.

and her advice of always carrying on and striving to write the best music possible.

So those were kind of notable concerts.

And then beyond that, it was, I guess, the turning point for mainstream probably was the 1982 BBC proms.

which featured Ustad Vilayat Khan.

And he introduced Ustad Sultan Khan, really, when we first heard his sarangi properly.

So I needed to do something about it.

So that was really the start of it with David.

I guess just one other thing I'd like to say is that when we heard the 1982 BBC proms, at that time, I don't know why we didn't actually go to the BBC proms.

We actually went to my dad's friend's house and listened to it at his house all night.

Right.

To digress slightly, one of the things the BBC has been doing for a while now, I don't know for how long, is they have a program every year called the Proms, which is like a month of classical concerts.

And if you want to go see them in person, you can.

Prices are sometimes pretty expensive, but occasionally reasonable.

Nikki is a two-time Exited Founder, Speaker Coach, Business Advisor, Investor, Western performer.

She trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and began her career as a professional former across musical theatre, TV and film with credits including Hairspray, Fame, the London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony and the BBC Proms.

Her career then took her into a completely different world.

The virtual assistant world.

Christopher Lawrence is a name known to us all thanks to his earlier presentation of Radio National's The Music Show before having long stints at various other times of day on ABC Classic FM plus ABC Sydney and ABC Hobart.

He's also presented for the BBC Proms in the UK and been awarded an International Emmy for Performing Arts and three Ari Awards too.

He's also published several books.

In recent years, he's become a tour leader for Renaissance Tours, sharing his vast musical knowledge enthusiastically with groups throughout Europe and the world.

I jumped for joy when you mentioned one name because I've interviewed her.

She conducted the Proms with the, uh, in, in London only a short while ago, Karen.

Karen, yes.

From Ferns.

My guest, Tiani Liu, was last on the program back in 2024 when she was in New Zealand to conduct the National Youth Orchestra that year.

We spoke with her not long before she made her debut at the BBC Proms that same year.

This time, Tiani is back to conduct the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

And she's taking on a little tour, performing music by Brahms, Haydn, Alfredo Andri, and tomorrow night with the pianist Aissata Canemason, Mozart.

And the finale, if people have never heard the final song from Candide, I can't urge you enough, go on YouTube and find it.

The BBC Proms did an incredible production of that.

But those words, Tom, will build our house and chop our wood and watch our garden grow, make our

garden grow.