For those living or working in Guildford, one of the joys of the town is the number of venues that it has that are able to welcome any number of fun and exciting shows. One of the most picturesque places to head to in order to see something live is Guildford Cathedral, which provides the backdrop to the forthcoming show that involves the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing pop music in a classical style. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lover of classical music or a fan of pop in all its forms, this is an event that you’re simply not going to want to miss, all playing out live in Guildford on the sixth of June.
About the Philharmonic Orchestra
It isn’t exactly out of the realms of the possible that you might not know a huge amount about the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, even if you have a vague sense of what it is that they offer. The British symphony orchestra itself is based in London, having been established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. When Beecham died in 1961, the RPO saw its fortunes decline initially. Having secured recording contracts and engagements that included the Glyndebourne Festival Opera and concerts of the Royal Philharmonic Society, suddenly the work dried up and the organisation had to battle for its very survival.
Thankfully, in the mid-1960s, a report from the Arts Council of Great Britain made the recommendation that the RPO should receive a public subsidy. Remarkably, it still took until 2004 before the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra got a permanent base in London for the first time, being located at Chelsea’s Cadogan Hall. In addition to performing there, the RPO also gives performances at the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, in addition to venues around the United Kingdom. There is also a regional touring programme, which travels to venues up and down the UK as well as touring overseas to the likes of Japan and Turkey.
What to Expect from the Concert
For those of you that like the idea of seeing the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra letting its metaphorical hair down and playing some pop music in a classical style, you might want to know what it is that you’re letting yourself in for. In many ways, this is exactly what it sounds like: the RPO will be taking on some of the best-known pop classics that you will recognise and giving them a classical music twist. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, which is a slightly smaller version of the main RPO that is ideal for touring, will bring songs to life in a new and thrilling manner, promising an uplifting event not to be missed.
The likes of Coldplay, Oasis, U2 and others will have their songs brought to life, offering a version of them that you will have never heard before. Musicians such as Ed Sheeran and John Legend will be given a classical twist, meaning that you’ll recognise the tune but soon realise that you’ve never heard it performed quite like this before. From Hallelujah to Fix You via Fields of Gold and many others besides, the songs of artists you know and love will be turned into ‘sweeping symphonic masterpieces’ that will give you a new and enlivened appreciation for what the songs truly sound like.
Things to Think About
As you might imagine, there are a number of things that you need to think about prior to booking your tickets for this event. For starters, if you’re heading along in order to celebrate a special occasion, you’ll be able to get in touch with the orchestra in order to commission a specific song to be played on the night. It is also important to know that this is an evening of entertainment by candlelight, so you might well struggle to see things if your eyesight isn’t what it once was. The event itself is down to last for two hours, starting at 7.30pm and coming to a close at 9.30pm, with the usual caveats around live performances borne in mind.
At other events held at Guildford Cathedral, you don’t get reserved seating with your tickets. Things are slightly different with this concert, however, as the cathedral’s seating is split up into four distinct zones, with Band C being the cheapest and Premium being the most expensive. The Premium seats are close to the front, meaning that you will have the best view of the orchestra if you’re the sort of person that likes to watch precisely what all of the musicians are doing. Although Band C tickets are at the back, you will still have a decent view of what’s going on, on account of the fact that the cathedral isn’t the largest in the country.