The 2012 Summer Games have come to an end.  IOC President Jacques Rogge [[ ROH-guh ]] declared the Games officially closed.  He praised London as a host city and called for the youth of the world to gather again for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio.  The Olympic flag was lowered and passed on to the mayor or Rio, and the more than 200 flaming copper petals representing each nation that formed the Olympic Cauldron were separated and extinguished.  British rock band The Who brought the ceremony to an end, accompanied by a fireworks spectacular.

Entitled, "A Symphony of British Music," the more than three-hour show included live performances from Madness, the Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, The Kinks' Ray Davies, George Michael, Annie Lennox, the Spice Girls, Muse and Queen.  Comedians Russell Brand and Eric Idle also had a part in the festivities.  The ceremony began with the tolling of a bell and a song by Scottish singer Emeli Sande [[ san-DAY ]].  Prince Harry and Rogge sat together in the royal box.  The 70-year-old Rogge was presiding over his final Olympics.  An actor playing Winston Churchill popped out of a Big Ben replica like a jack-in-the-box and gestured toward the royal box.

Sande also sang to a video montage of emotional moments from the past two-plus weeks of competition.  As opposed to nation-by-nation as with the Opening Ceremony, athletes entered the Olympic Stadium as a group and filled in around a stage designed to replicate the infamous Union Jack.