[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Parmy

Ironically, expecting him to ignore how the song is received today is the least artistic take possible





How is it received today?

It seems popular at the royal Albert hall. The BBC also airs it often.

By different people, in different ways. That is the obvious answer.
Yes, it gets cheers at the Royal Albert Hall. That crowd is not Britain. It is a very specific audience, tradition heavy, older, patriotic.

Outside that bubble, plenty of people hear empire, dominance, and exclusion. That is documented. Polls, commentary, repeated debates every Proms season.
Popularity in one room does not equal universal reception. If it did, we would never argue about anything ever.