Prom 72

In the beginning of the month, I was able to catch one of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. The Proms is a concert series put on by the BBC for eight weeks during the summer. I attended Prom 72 on September 9. Queuing up 30 minutes before the concert started, I got a £5 ticket for the standing room in the "arena" or the center pit of the music hall. Although the acoustic in the area supposedly doesn't sound good, I thought it was just fine to my untrained ears. I also liked being up close to the orchestra, being able to see the performers' faces and just barely being able to see their music sheet. Overall, I think it was a more exciting experience standing so closely with the rest of the audience, knowing that they're holding their coughs, trying not to move, and having to peek through all the other heads and bodies to see the show.

The pieces played that night were by Mendelssohn, Augusta Read Thomas, Beethoven. Thomas is a living composer and her music was played by an Asian female violinist--it sounded awful, awful, awful, dreadful, awful. But I thoroughly enjoyed the other pieces of music. Being able to go in the Royal Albert Hall and watch the concert all for £5 was well worth the price.