BBC Concert Wednesday 14 November

[Lelly]

Help - I entered the competition on Classicx for tickets and I've just picked up an email saying I've won - but I can't find any details about it and it's on Wednesday! Does anyone else know anything or has anyone else been told that they've won? My husband is very suspicious of these things and London is a long way to go for nothing! I know it's on the forum somewhere but I can't find it. I can't believe that Andrea is coming to London and singing with the BBC orchestra without knowing where he's going!

[DueBaci]

Oh Lelly ! It wasn't posted on the forum ... I don't think. But, I did receive an email ...
the subject line was *Introduding the Worlds Greatest Tenor*

and then it had a pic of the new CD cover for Vivere..
and his bio... and then down further... an link to the contest you're talking about ...

"WIN TICKETS TO SEE AN EXCLUSIVE ANDREA BOCELLI CONCERT
Andrea will be giving a special one off performance with the BBC Concert Orchestra on 14th November. This performance is in front of a specially invited audience and you cannot buy tickets for this event. To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to this highly exclusive show simply Click Here*

if they sent you information on where the concert is ... you could probably call them ... and ask them for a contact person to verify.

I sure hope this helps ... and CONGRATULATIONS !!

[westsiderny]

Help - I entered the competition on Classicx for tickets and I've just picked up an email saying I've won - but I can't find any details about it and it's on Wednesday!

Did you answer the email asking for instructions of how to go about? That's the first thing you should do. Maybe there is something there that could shed some lights until you receive an answer. If you have the phone number call them, as DB is advising you...

There is also this page where you can use for sending them an email if the one you received says: Do not answer this email.

http://www.classicalx.com/feedback.html

You know that you have to log-in first. Don't get nervous... calm down and think... and first of all, send that email right now. Maybe they are waiting for you to confirm the receipt of their good news. Hurry!

P.S. And when you are yourself again, change the heading of your thread. I understand it should say: BBC Concert Wednesday 14 November (not 7)

[Lelly]

I'm not panicking - much!! I have done all you say WDNY and I received an email from them saying I had won a pair of tickets for Wednesday 14 November in London (tbc) - no time or location, and as I live in Birmingham and don't finish work until 5.00 pm. I replied accepting, as they ask, but I now have to arrange time off work - this is one thing I don't want to miss! I'll keep you informed.

[kbarham]

Lesley I am so pleased for you (ok and jealous too). Let us all know how things go...........enjoy!

[westsiderny]

I replied accepting, as they ask, but I now have to arrange time off work - this is one thing I don't want to miss! I'll keep you informed.

You should be getting their reply with the information sny time today. If you don't hear from them in a couple of hours or so, send another email telling exactly what you are telling us (work, travel, etc.) Maybe they are making sure that the "BBC Concert Orchestra" (see below) will take place and that Andrea will be present. In the meantime, start making some pre-arrangements at work. Just tell them that you "may be needing some time off to take care of some 'personal business' (if they are not fans of Andrea's), etc." and have everything planned for when the people from ClassicalX send you the details.

Win tickets to see an exclusive Andrea Bocelli Concert
Andrea will be giving a special one off performance with the BBC Concert Orchestra on 14th November. This performance is in front of a specially invited audience and you cannot buy tickets for this event. To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to this highly exclusive show simply CLICK HERE

Nelly is keeping her fingers crossed for you, lucky Lelly! Don't worry! (Did you count how many "y's" and "l's"are there in this sentence?

[Rosej]

Lelly

We are all here wishing you luck! Have a wonderful evening with OFT and please report back to us after you have come down from Cloud 9.

Rose Marie

[westsiderny]

I've been looking at this schedule posted by Renate:

November 14th, BBC RADIO 2 ‘A Friday night special’ - UK radio

Thursday 15th November - ITV1 This Morning exclusive interview and
performance from Andrea.

Friday 16th November - Channel 5 and Sky Showbiz interviews with Andrea.

November 23, 7:30 BBC RADIO 2 ‘A Friday night special’ - UK radio broadcast

And, this is the BBC Radio 2 schedule for this week:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/listings/week.shtml

Andrea is supposed to be on 'A Friday night special' twice (Nov. 14 and Nov. 23). But, I also found this under "Events":

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/musicclub/event_duffy.shtml

The recording will take place on November 14 and it is "an intimate concert at the BBC's famous Maida Vale Studios in London on Wednesday 14 November for broadcast at a later date on Radio 2." (We have a place now). Read all the details. You have to find out the time you should be there. Let us know.

Andrea will be performing that night at the "A Friday night special" and the same day the recording with Duffy is taking place. This situation reminds me of the time when he had a performance somewhere in Italy and when finished he crossed the street and joined Gianna Nannini...

Am I on the right track...

[patriciabutler]

I hope it works out for you Lelly, lucky so and so.
Hope you are both well
Tricia

[gill mclennan]

Lelly, how fantastic! I can't tell you how pleased I am for both of you. Have a great time.

Cheers Gill

[Lelly]

Well we know where we're going now (The Mermaid Theatre, Blackfriars) and we know how we're going to get there. But what I didn't know, and know now, is that there's a party afterwards which our tickets entitle us to attend!

OMIGOD!!!

Now I'm trying not to get too excited because I've heard about these parties - I think someone on the OS said that they're a bit of a let down -but I DON'T CARE - I MIGHT SEE ANDREA CLOSE UP !! OR EVEN TO TALK TO !!! ................oh I don't think I could cope with that - what would I say? "Oh hello Andrea, I think you're absolutely gorgeous and would you like to come home with me?" or even "Hello Andrea would you like to ... er ... no perhaps not. Especially with my old man in attendance. I'd probably be totally dumbstruck or say something really silly, like "Have you travelled far?"..... oh lord what am I going to wear?

[westsiderny]

OMIGOD! Indeed!!!

Congratulations, Lelly! And don't worry about what to wear. Remember, less is better. Look at Veronica... Simple and elegant. Enjoy this once in a life time opportunity to see Andrea performing live and be close to him during the reception. I am sure he will be attending. Tell him whatever comes to your mind at that moment but, please, don't faint!

I assume that this is not going to be the concert I thought it was, with that rock and roll Duffy girl killing "Vivere". I was already having nightmares...

Have a good time and come back with your report once you have collected yourself after this magnificent experience. I am very happy for you!

[kaycarley]

You should really try to give him one of your poems , to be read later. I am sure he would enjoy that. Including your name address and tel no of course! I am very happy for you. Doesn't it just restore your faith in these competitions ?
Have a wonderful time.

[Lelly]

Remember, less is better. Look at Veronica... Simple and elegant

Er - thanks but Veronica has a definite advantage over me - she's got the figure that I used to have! Get your point though - I can usually do simple and elegant, if a bit older. As for the poem, I'm so excited that creativity has gone out of the window! Not a bad idea though - maybe inspiration will strike in the next 24 hours. Will report back on Thursday - I dread to think what time we'll get back. When I told my husband about the party afterwards, his first words were "when does it finish?". My response was "Do you really think that I asked that?". Apart from anything else, I was speechless!

Talk to you all soon - wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!!!!

[crocodileshoes]

LELLY, YOU ARE ONE LUCKY GIRL ! i feel so, so excited for you; wish it was me ! enjoy every moment, and I so hope you get to see Andrea up close and maybe even speak with him; please tell us all about it; lots of love, Carole.

[blacklab84]

Have an ABsolutely fabulous time Lelly, I'll be thinking of you! Look forward to hearing all about it.
Marion

[Fipi]

You lucky lady.

you have a wonderful time and we'll look forward to hearing all about it.

[DueBaci]

Have a WONDERFUL time Lelly ! we look forward to hearing all about your adventure !

[davidtaggart]

Have a really really great time. You will remember this for the rest of your life!! I remember getting an email about the competition but as I work in manchester and its not a weekend I couldn't take time off work - I go into schools with a robot promoting recycling; ther would be hundreds of children disappointed not to see the robot! Also I do amateur dramatics and sing rather badly and our group have our showtime this week- just finished the first night (four to go)! Disappointed that it clashed!!
Just enjoy it as a small concert is much more intimate than the large arenas that he normally has to play (because he's so popular!). I hope he returns to tour the UK soon!

[Southerngirl]

Oh, Lelly, how lucky your are. I am soooo green. Have a wonderful time for all of us and give Andrea all our love. I can't wait until Thursday now to get your report.

[Brittany Bowman]

Congratulations Lelly!!!! Have a great time, and take LOTS of pictures. I can not wait to hear your report!

[carolina1954]

Been unable to get on here until earlier this evening and just read you won, Lesley.
I am soooo pleased for you. So nice to see a real fan get these tickets.

Looking forward to hearing what it was like, and the finished product next Friday.

[patriciabutler]

I am getting a bit worried , where are you Lelly?

Was she overcome on Wednesday and taken away for some counselling and rest or snatched from under her husbands nose and carried off to his harem after the party - lol.

I am dying with anticipation to know how it all went

[Lelly]

Hi everyone - sorry to be late reporting in but I couldn't get into the forum yesterday. Some message about running out of memory - has anyone else had that problem?

Anyway - the concert. Well, what a day of ups and downs! Where to start? At the beginning I suppose - train and tube okay, found theatre okay, very rude person - sorry no box office here, this is an event venue and we don't sell tickets! er - slight panic, quick phone call to PR person, assurance that tickets would be waiting inside when doors open, everying fine. At this point we decided to get something to eat, as we were very early, and a very nice lady said she would hold our places at the front of the queue. This was 5.00 pm, and the doors didn't open until 6.30. Apparently, for this type of event, entrance is by invitation, if you are a VIP, or by competition, like me, or if you apply to the BBC direct, and it seems that this is what most people do. However, they always issue more tickets than there are places, so no guarantee of a seat even with a ticket, so by the time we got back from the pub the queue was halfway down the embankment! What a laugh - the average age was at least 70 and there were some real regulars, including a couple of coach loads! We nearly came to fisticuffs at one point!

Okay, we're in the theatre now. Lovely little theatre, holds about 800 I'm informed. Picked up tickets, Rob ran down toward the stage and got two seats ABOUT TEN FEET FROM ANDREA!!! I couldn't believe it - we had two seats at the end of the row just off centre, in the second row, and because of the way the rows were staggered there was no-one in front of me. We walked up to the stage, which was only about a foot high, and I said "I wonder where Andrea will stand?" because there were a lot of microphones, naturally with it being a recording. "That might be a clue" said he pointing to the cross pieces stuck on the floor - right next to me!

Well by this time I was - well, you can imagine. And when he walked in, with Carlo, I was quite, er, overwhelmed doesn't do it, but you guess what I mean. He look ABsolutely gorgeous - formal concert attire, tux, white shirt, white tie, hair brushed back, he looked really fit and health, and very comfortable. I don't think I've ever seen him so relaxed. Carlo conducted the orchestera as he sang, and he opened with Ananquez (one of my favourites) and he turned to "look" at the lead violinist during her bit, and smiled. Then he sang a couple others that I know well but can never remember what they're called. Then a break of 15 minutes, a couple of orchestra things, and then he was back. He went straight into Panis Maria and Ave Angelicus, and you can tell exactly how I was feeling by now. I was in bits! I don't think I have ever heard him sing so beautifully. What I forgot to say was that, just before he came out, Veronica and some other people came out of the side door and sat behind us. She looked absolutely great - very tall and slim, quite beautiful, but after he finished those two arias I turned to say something to some people behind us that we had been talking to earlier, and I'm sure Veronica was watching me! It was quite disconcerting to know that she was looking at me drooling over her bloke!

Anyway, he carried on for a couple of others (Serenata and Mama) and that was it. We all hoped for an encore but after the actual recording bit finished, Ken Bruce (who was presenting) announced that Andrea had had to leave because he had to be up early as he was appearing on television the next day. Big Disappointment. No point in staying for the party now - I would gladly miss the last train and spend six hours on a freezing Euston station platform for Andrea, but otherwise - no! However, because I had booked the morning off work, I knew that I could now get up a bit earlier and watch him on TV (more of that later).

So, we left, me on Cloud 9 and a half, and Rob thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Even without Andrea, I can recommend that you listen next Friday - it was a really good concert - keep an ear open for Harry playing La Donna es Mobile - so funny, so clever. Tiny theatre, very odd set up, but what a night. The thing that will stay with me for a very long time is how close I was to him - half a dozen steps and I could have been right in front of him. And now, dear friends, I have to get back to work. I wish you were there with me - I thought about you all. Perhaps this is the sort of thing that management could organise - free tickets for fanclub members? That's another topic for another day. See you soon.

[kaycarley]

Thanks Lesley. Glad you had such a memorable evening. I am sure all our thoughts were with you.

Glad you mentioned about the memory thing - I thought it was my computer. I have had that message twice. this week. The first time I wasn't too worried . I had been away for a few days and there were a couple of hundred new posts but I got the same message today when there were only 16.