What is happening at the South Bank - 1

We arrive a bit early for last night's concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which was being presented as part of the SBC's Bach weekend. There was a pre-concert talk, at 6.15, but also live music in the foyer. The live music was presented by a rather talented young jazz ensemble, it was not a little loud and entirely prevented conversation. Obviously for the SBC, having the QEH foyer full at this time of the evening is an entire success. But for concert goers, being prevented from talking and forced to listen to jazz (no matter how good), is not necessarily a good thing. The group started to wind up at 6.45pm but it was not until 7.05 that they finished their last encore, only to be followed by a track from their latest CD, which they were selling.

As I say, all entirely admirable in a way, but NOT what you want just before Bach's Mass in B Minor. If the SBC must have popular style music in the early evening slot, then please could it be less noisy AND finish promptly at 6.45pm, to give concert goers a chance to contemplate the concert in peace.

This isn't the first time we've experienced this, a similar thing happened a few weeks ago and it has started to make me nervous of getting to QEH pleasantly early.