Concert in St George, London, 16th November 2012

[Yorkie]

I normally get there about 1pm and there is about 10 people there already. But with premium seats you are always going to be in the first 5 or so rows anyway.

I think five rows is optimistic - my memory thinks it was the first 12 rows last year. At least.

[Yorkie]

I think we need to try and sort out a queuing system that helps reduce the scrum at the front door. Anybody got any suggestions?

You and I alone could block the door! (Though the svelte FDL might break through).

Are you calling me fat????

[dani]

I normally get there about 1pm and there is about 10 people there already. But with premium seats you are always going to be in the first 5 or so rows anyway.

I think five rows is optimistic - my memory thinks it was the first 12 rows last year. At least.

Ah ok

[Yorkie]

6? I hope they are paying you back No wonder they sold out quickly. Now, I think we need to try and sort out a queuing system that helps reduce the scrum at the front door. Anybody got any suggestions?

What type of a system were you thinking?


I'm just wondering how early one needs to be there to make it to the front seats this time. Last year it took what, three days for the premium tickets to be sold out? Now 30 minutes?

To be honest, I don't think you will get front row seats however early you get there (because they are reserved for a mix of families and VIP's from previous experience) but second or third should be possible from 14:00 onwards. You can come later and may be in luck..........

As to the queue, not sure. Maybe split it in two and have one line for premium and one for standard and concessions . The problem is that a three or four people stand across the door and this is repeated down the line. If we formed two queues, one right and one left it would reduce the mob blocking of the door and running down the nave (which is both funny and sad).

[Yorkie]

I normally get there about 1pm and there is about 10 people there already. But with premium seats you are always going to be in the first 5 or so rows anyway.

I think five rows is optimistic - my memory thinks it was the first 12 rows last year. At least.

Ah ok

The problem is that the nave is quite narrow between the support pillars and one or two of the fans are quite wide (no names) so not many to a pew!

[dani]

The problem is that the nave is quite narrow between the support pillars and one or two of the fans are quite wide (no names) so not many to a pew!

True true

[Lumi]

To be honest, I don't think you will get front row seats however early you get there (because they are reserved for a mix of families and VIP's from previous experience) but second or third should be possible from 14:00 onwards. You can come later and may be in luck..........

As to the queue, not sure. Maybe split it in two and have one line for premium and one for standard and concessions . The problem is that a three or four people stand across the door and this is repeated down the line. If we formed two queues, one right and one left it would reduce the mob blocking of the door and running down the nave (which is both funny and sad).

Yeah, by "front seats" I meant more like the first few pews (especially at St George's) – last year I think I managed to get to the 3rd or 4th row when I came at 2PM to the cathedral. Just wondering if this year there will be more people coming early, if the rate at which premium tickets were sold is of any indication.

Two lines sounds pretty difficult to manage after more people start to arrive in the evening... But it indeed would be nice to have it a bit more organised – and maybe have less people trying to just push through the queue to the front.

[dani]

To be honest, I don't think you will get front row seats however early you get there (because they are reserved for a mix of families and VIP's from previous experience) but second or third should be possible from 14:00 onwards. You can come later and may be in luck..........

As to the queue, not sure. Maybe split it in two and have one line for premium and one for standard and concessions . The problem is that a three or four people stand across the door and this is repeated down the line. If we formed two queues, one right and one left it would reduce the mob blocking of the door and running down the nave (which is both funny and sad).

Yeah, by "front seats" I meant more like the first few pews (especially at St George's) – last year I think I managed to get to the 3rd or 4th row when I came at 2PM to the cathedral. Just wondering if this year there will be more people coming early, if the rate at which premium tickets were sold is of any indication.

Two lines sounds pretty difficult to manage after more people start to arrive in the evening... But it indeed would be nice to have it a bit more organised – and maybe have less people trying to just push through the queue to the front.

Maybe a few more but not really as a lot that brought them will still be family and friends and they get in first anyway. Only the hardcore get there at silly oclock .

[john45]

I think we need to try and sort out a queuing system that helps reduce the scrum at the front door. Anybody got any suggestions?

You and I alone could block the door! (Though the svelte FDL might break through).

Are you calling me fat????

Not at all. I believe the current PC term might be " amply proportioned", though I prefer the older "big boned".
I'm currently making a big effort to get in shape for a trip to India later this year.

John

[john45]

The problem is that the nave is quite narrow between the support pillars and one or two of the fans are quite wide (no names) so not many to a pew!

Are you calling me fat?

[Choirfan]

As expected the tickets went in no time! I guess some people were disappointed not to get Premium but you gotta be fast-finger-freddie when it comes to the London shows!

All the buzz around it makes me wish i was going. It was a wonderful concert last year. Is nobody at all going to Northern Ireland, i don't think i will have to queue too early up there I hope the locals support it at least, as they did in Dublin in 2009

PS If you guys get Christmas carols and we in the north don't, i will be seriously peeved

[john45]

To be honest, I don't think you will get front row seats however early you get there.

This could so easily be resolved by assigning seat and ticket numbers within the pews (patron girth regardless).
This was achieved at the concert I attended last summer at Tewksbury Abbey performed by the combined choirs of Tewkesbury and Gloucester.
As an aside, serious choral lovers should check out the latest CD offer from Tewksbury's Dean Close Schola Cantorum " The John Rutter Collection" and, if you missed it ,
the earlier "Mozart" album, both featuring the most remarkable chorister of recent years, Laurence Kilsby.

John

[tom413]

I got my six premium tickets at 10.01 Atlantic Time

I took 4 tickets. Two buyers and already 10% from the quota of 100 premiums was gone

Amazingly quick sellout of the premiums, but I think part of the reason is that the usual number of premium
tickets were likely not available to be sold. If the parents in attendance book premium tickets (as they did in Arundel)
management would either need to increase the size of the premium area or only sell the difference between the total allotment
and what the parents took. I'm inclined to think that the second scenario is the most likely and why one must be quick on the
keyboard for premium seating for those shows.

I wish I had the travel budget to attend; there will likely be many songs I've never seen performed live
on the setlist.

[Yorkie]

The problem is that the nave is quite narrow between the support pillars and one or two of the fans are quite wide (no names) so not many to a pew!

Are you calling me fat?

Eerrmm, ooh look (pointing at sky), a ufo #runs away from thread#

Actually, it's lucky that this concert is early November otherwise you would have missed out. Bet you had written off any chance of seeing them after NI

[Malibu]

I just booked my flight (I think - there were some errors because my credit card company thinks there is fraud due to me living in Europe), my hotel and bought a ticket. Of course it's a general admission ticket, but that's ok as my other 3 concerts were premium. Plus it might be nice to hear what it sounds like from the back.

I shortened my stay to just one night to try to save money, but I will have most of Friday and Saturday to explore.

Thanks for all the tip everyone gave to help me figure out the travel situation.
Tim

Correction: NOW my flight is booked... After 2 calls to Visa, a call to the airline and 3 bookings, I finally have my flight