??? My First Classical Concert,What Can I Expect ???

@mylogic 

The article I quoted was in the post above from @horn13 

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/where-is-the-best-place-to-sit-in-the-concert-hall/

Interestingly one of the worst positions with a big orchestra (around 100 players - six times more than the baroque ensembles needed for the Brandenburg Concertos) is where the conductor normally stands.  It is far too close to the front desks, which overpower more distant players. Our Australian Mahler specialist Simone Young would move around the empty auditorium while the orchestra was on 'auto-play' to try to work out the balance she wanted for the audience.  But as soon as the venue fills with people, its acoustics change.

I have never been to the acoustically designed Symphony Hall in Birmingham, but my understanding is that its inner structure floats on rubber isolation blocks.  Huge adjustable 'hangar doors' open to the outer space, allowing the hall reverberation to be fine tuned to suit the musical program.

If I ever visit Europe again, Copenhagen 's newish DR Koncerthuset will be a must visit along with the Berliner Philharmonie;

Not to mention the biggest wooden building in the world - Wagner's temporary hall in Bayreuth, the Festspielhaus, which is now almost 150 years old.  The hall demonstrates Wagner's intention that the sound should be blended, and some say foreshadows Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.  The entire orchestra in the Festspielhaus is under the opera stage and out of sight of the audience.  Good luck pin-pointing instruments there!

@richardbrand 

“as soon as the venue fills with people, it’s acoustics change”

You are spot on there. In my cinema presentation days as a projectionist we had a cue sheet for each film. Notes on the individual film with details of play out music etc. Included was the fader level for a typical average sized audience arrived at during several sound checks. If the auditorium was nearly empty you would reduce the fader number assigned. If it was nearer a full house, the fader number would be increased, not because the audience makes more ambient noise, but because people and clothing absorbs sound. During each showing the projectionist on duty would also by habit and for good showmanship make a light, focus and sound check in the auditorium during the first reel.

With regard to auditorium design, my regional theatre in Plymouth has a ceiling that can be lowered to the base height of the third tier to change the acoustic reflections for certain programmes avoiding the Royal Albert Hall effect. It facilitates a more controlled and intimate sound field.

That sounds like an awesome experience! Honestly, I’d say just sit back and let it unfold. Classical concerts have a way of filling the space with sound in a really immersive way, especially in a church setting. The acoustics can be pretty incredible. You might notice how the instruments layer together and how sound travels through the space. But I wouldn’t stress about critical listening; just soak it in and see what stands out naturally. Sometimes the best moments are the ones you’re not analyzing.

Let us know how it goes!

@mylogic 

From about 10 years old I was taken to classical concerts at the White Rock Pavillion in Hastings, just east of you (’just’ as in Australian distance terms!).

Mainly it was the London Philharmonic Orchestra, who seemed to use Hastings as a final rehearsal before playing in London.  I remember an absolutely electrifying performance conducted by the Russian Kirill Kondrashin, who used neither score nor baton, but seemed to hover over every instrumental entry while simultaneously balancing the sound.  I get the same thrill watching another Kirill, this time Petrenko, conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker in Tschaikovsky’s Pathetique Symphony, number 6 on Blu-ray.

@freediver  About as far removed from the Brandeburgs as you can get and highly recommended if the harpsicord turns out not to be your thing!  I must admit I run a mile away from the Australian Brandeburg Orchestra, but equally quickly towards the Australian Chamber Orchestra in the same repertoire.

A somewhat less unruly crowd without screaming and whistling every time someones starts a song.