Organisers of the BBC Proms have defended putting Pop Idols Gareth Gates and Will Young on the bill of their classical concert series, arguing classical and pop were no longer separate worlds. Young will perform ‘Summertime’ from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, and Gates will sing Rodgers and Hammerstein's ‘Beat Out That Rhythm on a Drum’ at the children's Prom in the Park on 15 Sep. They will then perform their current duet release 'Long and Winding Road' accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic. Nicholas Kenyon, the BBC Proms director, who has included the Tweenies, Steps and SClub7 in the children's Proms in recent years, told the Guardian the aim was to introduce a new generation to the concerts. “Gareth Gates and Will Young are two people that kids really relate to,” he said. “We have to recognise there is no longer a dividing line between the classical and pop worlds. There's an overlap. The Proms will always be a festival based on the great classical repertory. But we have to respond to what the audience listens to." He said Young and Gates would feature in a varied line-up of world and classical music.
Sep 4, 2002
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BBC Proms defends booking Will Young and Gareth Gates
BBC Proms director Nicholas Kenyon defends including Pop Idol stars Will Young and Gareth Gates in this year's concert series.