Prince Harry and Meghan cellist calls for ‘Rule, Britannia!’ to be axed from BBC’s Last Night of the Proms

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The cellist who carried out at the wedding ceremony of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has mentioned that the patriotic tune “Rule, Britannia!” ought to be axed from the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason, 24, who carried out at the royal wedding ceremony aged 19, has mentioned some individuals “don’t realise how uncomfortable a song like that can make a lot of people feel”.

The tune is usually deemed controversial due to its associations with slavery and Britain’s colonial previous.

Some of the lyrics seen as controversial embody the strains: “Britons never, never, never shall be slaves”, and: “The nations, not so blest as thee / Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall / While thou shalt flourish great and free: The dread and envy of them all.”

The tune is historically carried out at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, usually with a visitor soloist. In 2020, the BBC mentioned the Last Night of the Proms would carry out the tune with out lyrics due to its controversy, however made a U-turn at the final second and the tune was carried out with the authentic lyrics.

Speaking to Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Kanneh-Mason mentioned he didn’t suppose the tune ought to be included in Last Night of the Proms, and that “so much wonderful music” might change it.

“I think maybe some people don’t realise how uncomfortable a song like that can make a lot of people feel, even if it makes [the people singing it] feel good,” he mentioned.

“I think that’s somehow a big misunderstanding about it.”

Kanneh-Mason instructed the tune might be changed with British folks music, including: “There is so much wonderful British music, the wealth of folk music from this country is astonishing.

“There is so much that is worth celebrating and having as part of a big celebration at the end of a wonderful music festival.”

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Kanneh-Mason, who turned the first black individual to win the BBC Young Musician award in 2016, carried out at 2023’s Last Night at the Proms alongside conductor Marin Alsop.

Responding to Kanneh-Mason’s feedback, a BBC spokesperson mentioned: “The Proms are built on longstanding traditions that were established by co-founder Sir Henry Wood, and which are loved by people around the world.

“One of these traditions is the last night festivities, other traditions include promoting new music, accessibility and opening up the world of classical music to as many people as possible.”

Kanneh-Mason, who was born in 1999 and raised in Nottingham, appeared alongside his siblings on the ITV selection present Britain’s Got Talent in 2015. He is the third of seven youngsters, who all play musical devices.

Speaking about his upbringing in a musical family, Kanneh-Mason mentioned his residence was at all times full of “nice sounding music” as he and his siblings would observe after college on most evenings.

“I found growing up in that environment, where you’re surrounded by everyone else practising, it meant that practice was less of a lonely thing when everyone else was doing it around me,” he advised Laverne.