For many, the banner waving at classical music’s annual jamboree evokes pride and a celebration of shared heritage. The discomfort felt by others may have been sharper this year as Promenaders heading to South Kensington shared the streets with the flag-draped hordes who had come to town in support of far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Inside the Royal Albert Hall, however, all was good-natured inclusivity, with pennants from around the globe dotting a sea of bunting from the UK and EU. Perhaps that was the diversity organisers were hoping to capture in a hodgepodge programme where 20-or-so disparate composers battled for attention.
