Prince Charles was treated to a sneak preview of this year’s Proms during a visit to Manchester.
The Prince of Wales was guest of honour during a rehearsal of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at their Oxford Road studios.
The 90-member classical group entertained the prince with their rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony – a piece also known as The Pathetique – which they will play during the famous concert series in London.
Wearing a grey double-breasted suit, Charles shook hands with the group’s guest conductor Vassily Sinaisky and orchestra manager Richard Wigley.
The Manchester-based orchestra, which is celebrating its 75 anniversary, will make four appearances at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Proms season.
Acclaimed conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, whose death this week drew tributes from across the classical music world, had been due to direct their performances next Sunday, July 25. The group will instead be led by Russian-born Vassily Sinaisky.
Prince Charles also spoke with BBC executives about the move of 1,500 broadcast staff from London to the north west.
The relocation of a further 100 staff from the BBC’s flagship Breakfast show and other departments was hastily announced this week after news leaked on internet site Twitter.
BBC North director Peter Salmon, in charge of the move to Salford, said other departments could follow.
He told the MEN: “I can’t say that there are any more plans. I would say that once people see what we are doing and how exciting the MediaCity site is and the technology we have, I won’t be surprised if they want to be part of it.”
Earlier in the day, the prince visited Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, near Wilmslow, where he was given a demonstration of the cotton mill’s working waterwheel.
Charles, who was not accompanied on the visit by his wife Camilla, travelled by helicopter from Highgrove, touching down on the grounds of the National Trust property. He was met by pupils from nearby Styal Primary school, who wore 19th century costume in tribute to the mill’s Georgian heritage.
The Prince said they were "very good at acting" and James Darroch, 10, said: "The Prince was very nice, I like his helicopter."
Heritage manager Amanda Lunt, who accompanied the Prince on his tour, said the Prince liked the way they were keeping the mill's traditions alive.
She said: "He kept using the word magical. As president of the National Trust, he was keen to see our new acquisitions and talk about the work we've been doing to maintain the heritage.
"He is particularly interested in restoring old mills and really liked seeing the children in Styal still attending the school in the village."
The Prince continued his tour through the valley garden which was acquired by the trust four years ago with the house originally owned by the Greg family who owned the mill.
He went for tea with American couple John and Sara Rex who lease the house.
Sara said: "The Prince was charming. I served him tea and my poppy seed cake. It was a real honour. My friends in the States are waiting for the pictures."
The Prince was shown around the mill's Mule Room with working looms, the Water Force Gallery and Power Gallery.
Members of the public waited with their cameras for a glimpse of the Prince and he didn't disappoint, chatting to visitors before being whisked off to his Manchester engagement.
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Yes, as you say, Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony is known as The Pathétique. And the BBC is also known as Pathétique - pathetic is its performance since it has a compulsory poll tax known as the licence which we all have to pay or go to prison. The only way for reform at the BBC is for the licence fee to go and for people to pay for what they view or listen to as I do with Sky.
Charlie, the oldest school leaver without a job,
Get back to London you uber-parasite. Up the republic!
"The only way for reform at the BBC is for the licence fee to go and for people to pay for what they view or listen to as I do with Sky. "
Yes, let all broadcasting be paid for by subscription or at the time of usage.
Get rid of all the adverts, then the commercial channels would have to deliver 60 minutes of programme for an hour's service instead of 45 minutes.
A subscription of £150 pa seems a good bargain for seven television channels and ten radio services. It puzzles me why why people are willing to fork out two or three times that amount to the Murdoch empire which has priced sporting events out of the reach of the free-to-air channels and ordinary citizens.
Oh, by the way, the licence fee is not a poll tax. Nobody is forcing you to have a television set and so nobody is forcing you to pay for a licence if you do not receive television services unlike Mrs T's poll tax where every adult had to pay it.
"The 90-member classical group entertained the prince with their rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony – a piece also known as The Pathetique – which they will play during the famous concert series in London."
That concert will be broadcast on the radio, as will every other promanade concert, free to your home. If you actually went to see the orchestra perform that opus and several others at, say, the Bridgewater Hall, you would soon clock up more than the value of the licence fee. The same arguement applies if one went to see one the 'Crown Jewels' sporting fixtures live instead of watching them on free-to-air television.
How disrespectable for the Prince! You should be ashamed for your comment. Eileen Robbins
Just like the old day's eh Chas?
The bigwig lording it over the masses in the workhouse!
Wish I could get a job that entails me to adjust my tie continually and then have one hand in my pocket!
Why was the horse not with him?
I once heard a member of the public giving his opinion of the royal family on tv. He said something on the lines of "it's alright for them sitting around eating caviare and supping champagne all day"
How uneducated, small-minded and pathetic can you get? Bit like some of the comments on here.
BBC Radio 3 is IS the BEST radio station in the world - accessible nationwide - Free !
"Charlie, the oldest school leaver without a job
Get back to London you uber-parasite. Up the republic
Just like the old day's eh Chas?"
Few not like Charles eh
Not sure why so many moan about the royal family, like their the ones who are taxing everyone to the hills, or making the disaterous decisions leading this country backwards.