The Royal Albert Hall organ is a massive beast. Just count all those pipes, all 9,999 of them, many hidden from view. Built in 1871, it towers over the BBC Proms’ platform like some malevolent machine, sometimes erupting with a deafening blast of sound but also capable of making the floor tremble imperceptibly with its subterranean shudder.
Organist Anna Lapwood is an associate artist of the Albert Hall, and there must be times when her job resembles that of a lion tamer, fighting to bring the unruly monster to heel. Still only 27 years old, she has a large social media following, a million and a half and counting, a significant proportion of which turned out for this late-night Prom (her TikTok followers enjoy watching her overnight practice sessions at the Hall).
