Last Night double with new face of Proms

Doctor Who, Placido Domingo, Bryn Terfel and Jamie Cullum are leading the way at this year's BBC Proms, as Katie Derham was unveiled as one of the faces fronting the annual classical music extravaganza.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Apr 2010, 10:27 BST
Updated 23rd Apr 2010, 10:27 BST

For the first time, this year's season will feature a double helping of Proms Last Nights, with a day-long tribute to Proms founder-conductor Henry Wood featuring his own Last Night programme from a century ago.

Derham, who trained in classical music, joined BBC Radio 3 in January and will be fronting other classical events across

the BBC throughout the summer.

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The news reader's departure from ITN for the BBC in a "non-news role" has been confirmed. Derham said: "I'm thrilled to be joining the BBC Proms team at the start of such a fantastic season. It's going to be tremendous fun bringing viewers in depth coverage from the concerts and digging deeper into the history of some of the wonderful music."

She will present the Proms on BBC2 and BBC Radio 3, alongside a range of proms hosts.

Kicking off the first Proms season in history to include two Last Nights, September 5 is being named Henry Wood Day and will recreate the Last Night of the Proms 1910, which was originally conducted by Wood.

The event will feature music by Wagner, Beethoven and Elgar among others. Organisers said it would continue Wood's commitment to new works, so one cello piece from the original programme has been replaced by a new piece, based on an unfinished Cello Concerto by Vaughan Williams.

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