Renowned British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who has previously played for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, said in an interview with BBC's Radio 4 that the "Rule, Britannia!" piece has no place at the annual Last Night of the Proms event for its history with slavery and colonial rule.
The Controversy Surrounding the Anthem's Proms Appearance
Kanneh-Mason was the first person of African descent to bag the BBC Young Musician award back in 2016 and was invited to perform at the 2023 iteration of the annual two-month-long orchestral event.
However, according to the young cellist, he was disappointed at the inclusion of "Rule, Britannia!" at the event and thus didn't stay to even hear it.
The song first came under heavy fire after it got featured in a 2020 Sunday Times report regarding BBC's discussion to remove the piece at that particular year's Proms.
In particular, the broadcast company had initial plans to just perform an instrumental version of the song, without the lyrics, but the decision was withdrawn after Tim Davie hopped on board as BBC's director general at the time.
'Rule, Britania!' Makes People 'Uncomfortable,' Says Kanneh-Mason
Although many welcomed an unbiased conversation to develop, discussing alternatives that more people from more communities could enjoy, a vocal group of traditionalists still expressed their disappointments and took the would-be removal as a slight to British culture.
For Kanneh-Mason, others are still slow to realize that the song can induce an "uncomfortable" feeling in a "lot of people" due to its colonial past, no matter if said others "feel good" singing it. The cellist added that this is the "big misunderstanding" surrounding the song.
"There is so much that is worth celebrating and having as part of a big celebration at the end of a wonderful music festival," he said.
In response to Kanneh-Mason's comments, a BBC spokesperson said that the annual event was "built on longstanding traditions that were established by co-founder Sir Henry Wood" and something that was adored by people all over the world.
He continued by mentioning other notable traditions like the promotion of "accessibility" and inclusivity, as well as the introduction of classical music "to as many people as possible."
