Overview

• Brian May and Roger Taylor joined the BBC Symphony forces for an orchestral Bohemian Rhapsody marking the song’s 50th year, with West End singer Sam Oladeinde on vocals after the item was added at short notice.
• Trumpeter Alison Balsom gave her final public performance at the Royal Albert Hall and confirmed her retirement in a BBC Radio 4 interview.
• Comedian Bill Bailey made his Proms debut as soloist in Leroy Anderson’s The Typewriter, later returning for a brief organ cameo.
• Conductor Elim Chan directed the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, Singers and the National Youth Choir through an eclectic programme of about 20 pieces over roughly three and a half hours.
• Traditional flag‑waving filled the hall with Union Jacks alongside EU flags, as new music featured with Rachel Portman’s The Gathering Tree, Camille Pépin’s Fireworks and a choral work by Lucy Walker.