UKH

Went to see them at the Bridgewater Hall tonight. Blew my mind TBH.  Ethel Smyths ‘On The Cliffs Of Cornwall’, Brittens Piano Concerto, Rachmaninovs Symphonic Dances. All three were fantastic, one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. 

AND: just found out it has been recorded: BBC Radio 3, 23rd June !! 

I've heard a couple of things by Ethel Smyth on the radio recently, and played the piano part for a trio of hers when some stringy friends were visiting- wow, what lovely and exciting music! And she was jailed for being a suffragette too, if I recall correctly, so a very brave person as well as a cracking composer.

I posted a reply, but it did not send for some reason.

I said that you could see the orchestra at the RAH during the proms, on the 17th and 18th of July including Bruch's 1st violin concerto, and Rachmaninov's 1st piano concerto (played by Sir Stephen Hough), and then others later. Then on later dates. Some new works included.

Thanks for that. I’m aiming to visit the Proms, a Saturday in August. How hard is it to get Promming tickets?  

You will have to go online at 9am on the morning if you want to stand in the arena, or the gallery (former better in my mind). 1000 tickets available on the day, at £8 each. You can buy two (p146 of the printed proms guide( available at book shops)). You then have to further queue in order to get in a higher place in the queue in the evening and be allowed in earlier. Londoners can rock up at 9am on the door and get an early raffle ticket for placing. The lower the number, in general the nearer the front of the arena you are likely to be. I usually end up being about row 4-5, occasionally further forward, occasionally at the back. I'm dependent on when I can get a train from a hundred miles away to Kings cross, and then across London to South Kensington, and get to the RAH as soon as possible for that raffle ticket (even though I will have a season ticket in the near future(already paid for)).

If you want to know more, you can email me, and I'll be happy to help.

You can buy some remaining tickets which are seated, but I prefer to be in the arena. Those seat tickets will be remainder ones, but are available now.

I like to see unknown orchestras, or infrequent visitors, and also younger soloists.

The 20th of August has Les Siecles (orch) and a violin concerto, as well as a piano concerto.

The BBC phil on the 9th of August is an interesting mix of old and new, with a virtually unknown composer, Pejacevic, who has only been performed here recently, as far as I know.

You should be able to get promming (standing in the arena) tickets for any of the concerts on the day as long as you're booking as they go on sale online (generally at 10.30 on the day, but check this as there are a few exceptions). How close to the action you'll be will depend on how early you physically arrive in the queue versus the popularity of the concert.  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3598F306c3KnN6t3x6ThKpN/what-is-p... 

Saturday concerts in August:

5th August is the National Youth Orchestra, this will be popular with friends and relatives of the performers swelling the usual crowd.

12th is the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Andras Schiff playing Schumann and Mendelssohn. An overseas orchestra and great soloist playing popular works so likely to be busy.

19th is Sakari Oramo conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Mahler 3. Not the most popular of the Mahler symphonies and the local band, likely not quite as popular as the previous two. 

26th is Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Jean-Yves Thibaudet playing Gershwin, Stravinsky and Ravel. Popular repertoire, star conductor and orchestra, charismatic pianist: likely the busiest of the four.