Free classic concert might be worth a tenner

MEMBERS of the audience at a classical music concert are to be invited to pay what they think the performance was worth.

The Halle Orchestra will play 10 short pieces spanning 300 years of music for the Priceless Classics concert at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, in September. It is the first time the symphony orchestra has staged an event where ticketholders, who can pre-book free seats, are able to pay what they think the event deserves.

Members of the audience will also receive free programmes and can bring their own drinks.

John Summers, the chief executive of the Halle, said: “Our concert will allow new audiences to experience the Halle and enjoy some incredible music, but on their own terms. If people have not heard the Halle’s music before, this is the perfect event for them. You can have a drink. You can go to the loo. The whole point it that people don’t need to feel constrained by the normal concert etiquette.”

The concert, conducted by Stephen Bell, will include pieces by Bach, Mozart, Wagner and Stravinsky. The Halle Orchestra was founded in 1858 by Charles Halle, a pianist and conductor.

Tickets would normally start at £10, with a maximum price of around £40.