How to put on a (thumping) concert at the Royal Albert Hall

23 September 2014, 23:27 | Updated: 15 December 2016, 11:50

So you want to put on an epic concert for 5,000 at the Royal Albert Hall? Tonight we put on Classic FM Live, and we'll share a few of the secrets. It's actually really easy (sort of).

You've chosen your venue 

And what a fine choice you made. Just look at it: it's absolutely beautiful. And (most importantly) no one will know if you spill a little red wine.

Know your way around 

It's easy to get lost in Bertie's halls, if you're not careful you'll be doing more left-turns than a Nascar driver. 

Get one of the best orchestras in the land 

There are many great orchestras to choose from, but tonight we went with our friends at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. Three bars into that Shostakovich Overture, we were all nodding our heads in supreme approval. What a sound.

Book a cool soloist

We mean a seriously cool soloist. Roger Federer at an Armani refrigerator expo cool. Or this guy...

Make sure your stars have got some bling 

Dull black shoes? Not for new piano superstar Ji Liu. A bit of Swarovski on the heel adds perfect glitz to the evening's proceedings. 

Fanfare

A concert should always start with a fanfare. The more regal the better. Your show's underway.

MC

Get a smashing Master of Ceremonies. Not many can do it in classical music, but then we do have John Suchet and Margherita Taylor. 

Make sure you have lots of high notes 

Remember: opera's always essential. It's high-risk stuff, but if you hit the high B's you'll bring the house down. Sol3 Mio show us how...

Really, you can't have too many tenors

Alfie Boe. What a star, what a sport. He arrived. He nailed it. He had a beard. What more could you want?

Choose an epic finale

We have 1812 Overture. We have cannons. It's amazing. You can't steal it. 

And it's all done - congratulations on your AMAZING Royal Albert Hall concert...