St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2019, 3rd December, London

[andmar]

It got pretty late this year and we are still waiting for the Christmas concert announcement.
But look, what I just found:

SJSS2.jpg (114.01 KiB) Viewed 11131 times

SJSS2.jpg (114.01 KiB) Viewed 11131 times

https://www.sjss.org.uk/events/christmas-libera

Tickets are on sale now, though seats are available from row H only.

SJSS.jpg (159.11 KiB) Viewed 11131 times

SJSS.jpg (159.11 KiB) Viewed 11131 times

[Padmachou]

Both the date (a tuesday !) and the box office are unusual, but maybe Libera had some difficulties planning their Christmas concert this year, as the late time suggests. As I understand it is not a church either ?

I took a ticket but have no guarantee that I will manage to free from my job, that would require both 3rd december afternoon and 4th december morning...

I wonder how the boys will manage to attend school on the 4th december, they will be very tired !

[theforestdweller]

I've taken a chance as well and booked two tickets. Closest row available was Row H as stated. I wonder where all the front rows went - those "in the know" perhaps? A shame, but saves the hassle of the ticket scramble we've grown accustomed to!

[maartendas]

Wow, a real surprise to wake up to here in Japan
I bought a ticket and will now have to see if I can arrange to come This is the first time I bought a ticket for an upcoming Libera concert while they're still on tour

[filiarheni]

St. John's Smith Square, really?!? I was there exactly two weeks ago for the Schola Cantorum (Cardinal Vaughan) concert!   How funny! If I had had the slightest suspicion I'd have had a try on different seats during the interval

To those who are nervous about the occupied seats: In this venue, front row is not necessarily best choice. With the other concert, I was very early and had free choice as there were only a few occupied seats starting from row 5, so the front row was free. However, after checking photos to see the height of the stage, I decided against it and took a seat in the middle of row D, and my view from there on the stage was excellent, I could perfectly well see all choir and orchestra members, and I'm small! In fact, if I had had a choice now for the Libera concert, I'd have done the same = choose row C or D and not first or second row. Well, now I'm in row H (with all other Libera fans? ) and I don't know how that will be, though …

To get an idea:

SJSS 2019-10-08 1.PNG (482.23 KiB) Viewed 10995 times

SJSS 2019-10-08 1.PNG (482.23 KiB) Viewed 10995 times

About the venue:

St. John's Smith Square has two opposite sides that both look like entrances. The one to enter for the concert is on the Lord North St. side (corrected. See how confusing it is. )

On the side you collect the tickets and there is also a café to have something before the concert begins (and btw, that would be a fine place for an M&G as well, but the next day is a school day, so ...) Otherwise, there are some pubs etc. practically around the corner.

It is very conveniently located with an 8 minutes walk from Westminster Station


Here is some more about public transport: https://www.sjss.org.uk/how-get-here


And it is only a 6 minutes walk from Westminster Abbey!

Due to being so close, it is very convenient to attend Westminster Abbey's Evensong at 5:00 pm, with the Libera concert starting at 7:30 pm. I did exactly that with the above concert and it went super-fine!

Evensong at Westminster Abbey is sung daily except for Wednesdays, but attention : There is no Evensong scheduled for the 3rd December, and I'm not sure whether this is only the current status today (for the programme not being fixed yet?) or a real exception that day. You can keep yourself informed here:
https://www.westminster-abbey.org/worsh ... s/evensong

[Yorkie]

Hi all

I rang the Box Office at St John's and there was a booking system fault regarding premium seats - these have now been released for sale. You can book them now on the website.

[theforestdweller]

I'v decided to stay with my Row "H" seats even though premium are now available. No guarantee that I would be able to resell my tickets if I went premium so I'll stay as I am, especially after filiarheni's comments regarding views from the front couple of rows.

[filiarheni]

Hi all

I rang the Box Office at St John's and there was a booking system fault regarding premium seats - these have now been released for sale. You can book them now on the website.

Thank you, Yorkie, I have now added a photo of the inside in my above post, and I very much hope you will be fine, theforestdweller. I myself was totally pleased in D, so I have re-booked now to C (as intended C or D) and have now one to sell for H.

[filiarheni]

Was row A entirely occupied from the beginning of the opening of the premium seats? Is this a row perhaps that may be removed (if possible) for Robert to sit there?

[Yorkie]

Was row A entirely occupied from the beginning of the opening of the premium seats? Is this a row perhaps that may be removed (if possible) for Robert to sit there?

When I spoke to the lady at the venue she said that row A had been reserved by the artist - I assume this means it will be unoccupied to give some space between the audience and the stage for Robert and possibly musicians?

[Yorkie]

Evensong at Westminster Abbey is sung daily except for Wednesdays, but attention : There is no Evensong scheduled for the 3rd December, and I'm not sure whether this is only the current status today (for the programme not being fixed yet?) or a real exception that day. You can keep yourself informed here:
https://www.westminster-abbey.org/worsh ... s/evensong

Not this time Sabine - they are singing Handel's Messiah later that night so no Evensong on Tuesday.

https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey ... el-messiah

[filiarheni]

Was row A entirely occupied from the beginning of the opening of the premium seats? Is this a row perhaps that may be removed (if possible) for Robert to sit there?

When I spoke to the lady at the venue she said that row A had been reserved by the artist - I assume this means it will be unoccupied to give some space between the audience and the stage for Robert and possibly musicians?

Yes, after the experience in Moscow 2018 with that space it's good that Libera took care of that now.

Evensong at Westminster Abbey […]: There is no Evensong scheduled for the 3rd December, and I'm not sure whether this is only the current status today

Not this time Sabine - they are singing Handel's Messiah later that night so no Evensong on Tuesday.

https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey ... el-messiah

Oh, what a pity!
(And do they really think they can compete with Libera next door? )

[fan_de_LoK]

I was there exactly two weeks ago for the Schola Cantorum (Cardinal Vaughan) concert! [...]  However, after checking photos to see the height of the stage, I decided against it and took a seat in the middle of row D, and my view from there on the stage was excellent, I could perfectly well see all choir and orchestra members, and I'm small! In fact, if I had had a choice now for the Libera concert, I'd have done the same = choose row C or D and not first or second row. 

I am not sure that libera will chose the same stage disposition as the other choir. We know how that choir occupies the space there, it exists many photos. Musicians in the front and the very large choir in the back on the big platforms. But that choir is static, while libera, as we know, moves all the time and even practices being bindfolded.

Isn't possible for the libera boys to occupy the large front stage, where they can move freely, with the musicians being in the back on the platorms ?


This 360° navigation link below allows to explore the church. Interesting but I can not appreciate the real depth of the upper platform. Is it depth enough to welcome the widely spread libera choir ?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Vt35vHRJGGPYzCCN8

[Padmachou]

I called the box office to change my seat from H to E, I might have made an awful mistake though. I am a bit closer to the stage but while I was in the middle, I am now a bit on the right aisle, though I checked, this time NO pillar issue (those who were in Arundel last lime know what I mean ).

I am really looking forward, I was nearly sure there would be no Christmas Concert for me this time, but it is so soon already ! I will probably just have received the album a week before if I'm lucky

Thank you fan_de_LoK for the navigation link !

[fan_de_LoK]

This second 360° link gives the navigation being on the stage.
It allows to see that the 'steps' that compose the platform are made of 4 different blocs, each of them can be raised at a desired height. The 4 blocs together can probably have a depth wide enough for libera.

So we can not predict the height of the stage that will be arranged for the libera concert. I just hope the musicians will not be seated before the boys.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/SF7MVeB3Kk6CZgBHA