HOWZAT

From the Ride of the Valkyries to the Sex Pistols, it’s all in a day’s strum for this fabulolusly eccentric ensemble. Personally I can’t wait to hear the Dambusters March played on massed ukes. Aug 18

FIDELIO

Beethoven’s gloriously affirmative opera performed by Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, with its mixture of young Israelis and Arabs, and a magnificent cast. Aug 22

LEIPZIG GEWANDHAUS

With due respect to the Vienna Philharmonic and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw Orchestra, this is the visiting orchestra that’s currently causing the biggest stir under its brilliant conductor Riccardo Chailly. Sept 7

How to Prom

- With 1,400 tickets avaaible on the day, every day, for Prommers (out of a total capacity of 5,909), standing in the Albert Hall is not only the cheapest way to do it - tickets are still just £5 - but in many cases may be the only way to get in to the most popular events.

- Prommers divide on one fiercely partisan point: Arena or Gallery? The Arena - just in front of the orchestra - is where all the action is, but if you don’t fancy being packed like sardines (often in sweltering heat), then the gallery - right at the top of the Hall - offers a better acoustic and room to stretch out. Either way, make sure you get the right queue: it’s door 11 for the Arena and door 10 for the Gallery.

- Both arena and gallery tickets are put on sale half an hour before the performance, but the queue starts forming at around 5pm. For celebrity performers such as piano legend Martha Argerich, expect crowds to form as early as 3pm to get the best places in the concert hall. But most seasons there are only a couple of concerts so starry that anyone gets turned away.

- You can expect your fellow Prommers to be pretty considerate about your place in the queue. Once you’ve installed yourself, others will guard your place - within reason. Plonking your rucksack on the ground while you go to the pub for the rest of the afternoon might not cut it.

- If you've got your heart set on getting to the Last Night in your straw boater and lustily waving the Union Flag, your best bet is to get to five concerts as early as possible in the season. Keep your tickets and you can use them to pay for one Last Night promming pass in advance of or after July 20.

The Redcoats

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