Rule Britannia and Land Of Hope And Glory Facing Axe from Last Night at the Proms over BLM Fears

Rule, Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory look likely to be axed from BBC Proms in wake of Black Lives Matter movement.

IN June this year, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) were considering banning the song, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, from their games for having connections to the slave trade. The song was reportedly written by Wallace Willis, a Native American who was a slave in the Deep South before the American Civil War. It’s believed a minister transcribed the words he heard Mr Wallis sing and the African American group, The Jubilee Singers, popularised it as they toured the world.

Now, British anthems such as Rule, Britannia and Land of Hope of Glory could also be axed from the annual Last Night of the Proms following the ongoing BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement.

The BBC has said it is considering dropping the songs over fears of criticism due to their links to colonialism and slavery. Dalia Stasevska, who is conducting the event on September 12, said a “ceremony without an audience is the perfect moment to bring change”. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, this years event, which marks the 125th, will be performed in front of an empty Royal Albert Hall.

As the orchestra is expected to be much smaller due to social distancing measures, Rule, Britannia is also unlikely to be able to be performed.

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Tony Winterburn

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