The Telegraph, 13 September 2015

By Hannah Furness

Last Night of the Proms, 2015, London, Royal Albert Hall

Last Night of the Proms turns racy as fans throw knickers at Jonas Kaufmann

Concert descends into hysteria closer to Sir Tom Jones concert as female fans throw underwear at star German tenor who performed Rule Britannia

It has always been the most exuberant night of the classical music calender, with painted faces and flag-waving galore. But this year's Last Night of the Proms descended into something closer to a Sir Tom Jones concert as fans threw their knickers at the star tenor and its conductor whipped out a selfie stick. Jonas Kaufmann, the German singer who performed Rule Britannia, looked delighted as he was pelted with lacey undergarments from female fans among the Prommers, the enthusiastic hardcore fans known for their distinctive Last Night "bobbing". Dubbed the "Poldark of the Proms", the handsome singer picked up one tiny black thong and one pair of cream silk knickers, twirling them around to show the audience before being presented with his official, wrapped thank you gift. He later entered into the spirit of the night himself, grinning as he carried a pair of Union Flag boxer shorts on stage. The unexpected turn of events saw BBC Proms presenter Katie Derham momentarily lost for words, joking: "Oh good Lord, this is getting out of hand." "I think that might be a first for the Last Night of the Proms," she added. Marin Alsop, making her second appearance as the only female conductor to lead the Last Night, also made sure any accusations of the Proms being inaccessible or elitist are the thing of the past, as she brandished a very modern selfie stick. The conductor took a selfie with the excited Royal Albert Hall crowd, before turning to snap the orchestra and posting the pictures on Twitter: She was cheered to the rafters for a speech, in which she abandoned staid, formal thanks and instead issued an impassioned plea for gender equality and arts funding from her podium. Speaking ahead of the last few traditional songs, the National Anthem and Auld Lang Syne, Alsop called the night a "wonderful and slightly wacky celebration", saying she looked forward to seeing her next female successor. "I'm not going to pretend that music can change the world," she said. "But on this incredible night, in this incredible hall, with all of you here, I feel the power of music to unite us and bring out the best that humanity has to offer. "We have to reach out to those people who are struggling to be heard today. Let's bring the sound of our voices together so that it reaches out to people everything, all of our brothers and sisters. That is the great power of music."