There are almost as many musical Proms as seaside ones in Britain these days.

This year, buoyed by the infectiousness of those in London, Cardiff and even Bolton, Bradford has its own.

The first Promenade concerts to be seen in the city reach a crescendo this weekend, with a Union Jack-bedecked finale at St George's Hall.

They are, says their conductor, the Hall's Owain Arwel Hughes, a most welcome addition to Bradford's musical calendar. Hughes, who was also responsible for instigating the Welsh Proms in his beloved Cardiff, was delighted to bring the spirit of Henry Wood to Yorkshire.

"We'll make an atmosphere all our own," he says of Sunday's Last Night - which, like its Albert Hall equivalent, will be replete with Wood's sea songs, Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory.

There will be no vocalists, but, says Hughes, plenty of vocal participation from the crowd.

"We get wonderful support from the audience in Bradford," he enthuses. "When I announced that the Hall was going to be the resident orchestra there, the applause went on for five or six minutes. This is a very nice extension to our relationship. It means we can show to a large audience the work of the orchestra encapsulated into a few weeks."

The Hall's residency in Bradford contracts it to a set number of appearances spread throughout the year. "It's not like we're there permanently, but in a sense we are Bradford's orchestra," says Hughes.

Northern Proms have long been a feature of the Hall's Manchester programme.

"We relax and enjoy ourselves," says its conductor. "We never fool around - the playing has got to be superb - but we have a lot of fun as well.

"St George's Hall is ideal for this sort of concert. These Victorian halls are wonderful to play in." He hopes now to extend the Promenade season here. "There's definitely a rapport between the Hall and the Bradford audience.

"This is the first time for the Proms and I'm thrilled and excited about it."

Tonight's concert is a Russian Ballet Night, with performances of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker Suite, Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, Khachaturian's Spartacus Suite and Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Suite.

The Last night of the Bradford Proms is on Sunday, with a traditional, rousing, British programme. Booking information for both concerts is available on 01274 752000.

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