
“This is not the time for high art,” BBC presenter Hazel Irvine announced, as coverage of the Olympic closing ceremony began. “It’s time for a singsong.” After an opening ceremony marred by the weather (“Damp and extraordinary,” in the words of Irvine’s commentary partner, Andrew Cotter) and subject to a series of confected rows (Donald Trump called it a “disgrace” prompting artistic director Thomas Jolly to revise his script for the closer), this Parisian finale played it far safer. Less high art, more pop concert. Opening in the Tuileries, where...