This is a sponsored article on behalf of the LSO.
London is packed with world-class culture. But be honest: do you make the most of it?
When things are on your doorstep, it’s easy to take them for granted, adding them to your ever-growing ‘one day’ list. Take The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). One of the finest orchestras in the world, they’re based — and regularly perform — right here in London. But have you ever caught one of their shows?
The LSO is making it really easy to do so (even if you’re convinced that orchestral music might not be your “thing”), thanks to their extremely accessible Half Six Fix series of concerts. And now’s the time to buy those tickets, because Londonist readers get a special discount.
Half Six Fix is an informal, pocket-sized concert, designed to introduce anyone to the world of orchestral music in a one-hour burst. Grab a drink, then head into the concert hall to experience 60+ musicians playing at full tilt. The conductor gives a brief but enthusiastic intro to the music you’re about to hear, telling you why they love it, and what the composer was thinking or feeling when they wrote it — the sort of details that really bring a piece to life. The free concert programme offers further bitesize notes if you want to know more, while big screens show close-ups of the performers as they play.
Each concert lasts only an hour (they start at 6.30pm, hence the name), giving you a deliciously digestible portion of music to mull over. It’s over by 7.30pm, leaving you the rest of the evening for more drinks, dinner… whatever you fancy.
Sound good? The next Half Six Fix is on Wednesday 4 March, and it’s an extra-special one, as it’s a UK premiere. Composer Laura Bowler’s The White Book is a new work for voice and orchestra, based on Booker and Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang’s poetic novel of the same name. Bowler herself introduces the piece, in conversation with music writer and broadcaster Flora Willson, then rising star Bar Avni conducts as her mentor, soprano soloist Barbara Hannigan, performs it.
And that discount we mentioned? Tickets to Half Six Fix start at £15, already making it a highly affordable night out, but Londonist readers get 2-for-1 tickets, making it even more of a bargain (and a great excuse to get a date with a friend in the diary). Simply book online, entering the code LDN26HSF when prompted at the checkout, and start making a dent in your ‘one day’ London list this March.
Half Six Fix takes place on 4 March at Barbican. Check out the LSO website for details of future Half Six Fix concerts.
