Birmingham Symphony Hall, Where to sit? Options

[Marvellous]

Greetings all!

I have found a concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall that I would quite like to attend. Being a poor student, I am obviously going for the cheapest seats, which come in two places. First, most obviously, I could sit at the very top of the very back, which is where I expected to be. Second, however, I have found that I can get seats equally cheaply by sitting on seats that the hall appears to have behind the stage (and behind the performers). Undoubtedly this is closer to the action, which is always exciting, but I can see that it might distort the sound towards the brass. Since I am a poor student, I can't really afford to worry about what I can see, but I was wondering, to anyone who has been to the Birmingham Symphony Hall, if you sit at the top at the back do you still get a decent sound, and if you sit behind the orchestra does it sound better for being closer or worse for being positioned wrong?

[Seer_Green]

The choir seats behind the orchestra are quite uncomfortable so personally I would rather sit at the back. As for the sound, I'm not sure there's an awful lot of difference; certainly it's fine at the back.

[CJB]

It's been a few years since I last went to a concert at Symphony Hall - I lived in Brum when it 1st opened and with the exception of the very front of the stalls I think I sat in just about every part of the hall. The sound is really good everywhere, the acoustics are brilliant and even at the very back of the hall whilst the stage looks a long way away the sound feels much closer (sorry brain is frazzled at the moment I hope that makes sense!). The only place I didn't like was at the side of the hall.

The sound from the choir stalls is good, a little brass heavy (esp. if close to the horns) - but great if you want to watch the conductor! Probably my favourite place is the cheap area at the top and back. The sound is great and the sight lines to the stage are fine. The only drawback is a slight vertigo issue with the very steep raking of the seats.

What are you planning to go to?

[briantrumpet]

Sorry, can't help with Symphony Hall, but...

My introduction to live orchestral music was in the choir stalls at the Colston Hall in Bristol. Maybe an unusual balance, but it can be a thrilling place to be. One concert I remember in particular included Janacek's Taras Bulba, and being sandwiched between an orchestra at full throttle and the fine Harrison organ in the Colston Hall (now, sadly, mothballed*) was extremely thrilling.

*OT EDIT - not sure about this. Someone interested in the Colston Hall organ told me in about 2005 that it had been mothballed, but I found this which, though out of date, suggests otherwise.

[ffliwt]

I saw this title and thought AH i know symphony hall i'll be able to help you! then realised that despite playing there many many times, i've never sat in the audience (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[CJB]

I saw this title and thought AH i know symphony hall i'll be able to help you! then realised that despite playing there many many times, i've never sat in the audience (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

That is something you need to rectify asap (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Clarimoo]

I have sat in both the positions you mention and enjoyed the sound in both. My personal preference would be to sit behind the orchestra. It's really exciting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[ilovemycello]

Sitting behind the orchestra is brilliant, because you can see the conductor which can be very interesting. Plus you're very close to the 'action'! I wouldn't sit at the back, because it is a very long way away and very steeply raked, so not only can you not see much, you're very far away and very high up. Definitely not one for sufferers of vertigo!
Enjoy your concert though, SH is amazing to play in and to go to concerts in! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[viola-mad]

The sound is really good everywhere, the acoustics are brilliant and even at the very back of the hall whilst the stage looks a long way away the sound feels much closer...

Exactly what I was going to say. There are also cheapy seats on the top level, round the sides on the ledges. If you sit there you can't see much unless you lean on the rail, which I did for most of one concert. It was pretty uncomfortable. But the sound is still fab, so if you're not interested in watching it's fine.

Sitting behind the orchestra is a great experience, although I've never done this in Symphony Hall. If you prefer to be playing in the orchestra but are not doing so, I reckon this is the next best place to sit!