One of the great anticipations of the year for music lovers is the release of the Proms guide. When mid-April comes around, the guide hits the shelves, and we all frantically mark our diaries. Inevitably, as these guides become a household object, wear and tear over the summer becomes an issue. By the end of the festival, some of the printed versions look like nothing more than a tea-stained leaflet.
With this new BBC Proms Guide app, buying the print version is perhaps no longer a necessity. This app for Promenaders is a very useful tool and well-presented while being user-friendly. The first thing you see when you open the app is the home page (below). You will find artist spotlights and features, which you can swipe through until you find what you want in no time at all.
At the bottom of the screen, there is a list of options allowing you to search for a range of things including artist, venue, piece and composer . The calendar next to it allows you to pick your favourites and then bookmark them to make the ever-important diary planning that much easier.
The other two sections of the home screen are the collections and venue tabs. The collections tab shows which concerts are being televised and which are the late night proms and family events.
The very handy and well-designed venue tab is the most practical part of the app, covering each venue for any of the Prom concerts this season. It shows all the information you need about the Royal Albert Hall, for example. It shows the location including travel options, booking help, arrangements for latecomers, security and dress code.
This new app is a very useful edition to any music lover's phone or ipad.
Will Wright