To the last, we’re inspired and enlivened by communal listening

The buzz around the Royal Albert Hall this year has given everyone involved in classical music a real boost — and confirmed the importance of this art form. History shows that in times of trouble or economic downturn, we want to be entertained — and that the public will soon identify events that represent value for money.

Thus one ticket for the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle at the Lucerne Festival this summer could have cost you £170. For the same concert at the Proms last weekend, the top price was £54 — and there were, as ever, more than a thousand £5 places.

It is the BBC subsidy of more than £5 million that keeps quality high and ticket prices low. That is just one reason for the ongoing success of the Proms.

The huge appeal of classical music is often under-estimated. We need to be more confident in celebrating the ways in which it can enrich our lives.

It would be a tragedy if the image of classical music were to be hijacked by those who want to promote it as an ingredient in relaxation — a new-age stress buster. This music is so much more: Proms audiences often tell me how they are inspired and enlivened by the performances and the act of rapt, communal listening in a relaxed atmosphere.

Encouragingly, the sell-out events have not been just the most obviously popular programmes. New and unfamiliar music has captured imaginations, too. It is this willingness to discover more, not simply stick with what they know, that makes our public much loved by the world's musicians.

All the concerts being live on BBC Radio 3 and a regular TV schedule — three times the number of Proms TV broadcasts compared with a little over a decade ago — helps to build our audience. Even the Tube strike didn't prevent a packed hall on Monday and Tuesday this week.

In the end, though, it comes down to the power of the music, the quality of the performances and the confidence of the presentation. It's a unique atmosphere. If you have never sampled it, why not come along on the Last Night tomorrow? Just queue early enough and you'll get a standing place.

And if you miss out, you can still nip over the road and join the festivities in Hyde Park.

Roger Wright is controller of Radio 3