Land of Hope and Glory: Maybe there is hope for us

The annual series of Prom concerts at Royal Albert Hall in London have traditionally closed with the audience waving flags and singing along to “Land of Hope and Glory” – lyrics set to the Edward Elgar march that Americans recognize as “Pomp and Circumstance.” That is the march often played as the processional at high school graduations (or at least it used to be in the ancient days of my youth.) This year the YouTube of the September 10, 2016 Last Night of the Proms “Land of Hope and Glory” is particularly heartening as well as entertaining.

Conducted by Sakari Oramo with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (9 minutes)

Yes, there were flags of the EU (spoilsports) and if you go through the comments section, you’ll see the pro-Brexit and anti- Brexit sentiments. But mostly you see Union Jacks galore inside Royal Albert Hall and at the sing-alongs broadcast from London’s Hyde Park and from Belfast. It was a celebration of British culture, heritage, and tradition. The Brits were out in force enthusiastically waving their flag.

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