Omen II

I went to watch the LSO just yesterday at the Barbican, playing Richard Strauss's Alpensinfonie amongst other things.  There were five members of the orchestra actually performing yesterday who have been in the LSO for 35 years or more and therefore might have played on Return of the Jedi and possibly even The Empire Strikes Back (I cannot say for certain only because I have never seen player listings for either of those scores).
 
The current longest-serving LSO member is first violin Colin Renwick, who I know definitely played on Raiders of the Lost Ark because his name is listed in the booklet.  The next longest-serving member is sub-leader Lennox Mackenzie, who joined the LSO in 1980 and shared the front desk yesterday with leader Roman Simovic.  Two of the cellists have also been with the LSO since the early 1980s, Jennifer Brown and Noel Bradshaw, as has double bass player Patrick Laurence.  All five were playing in yesterday evening's concert.  Another long-serving violinist, Nigel Broadbent, retired only recently.
 
With regard to the Star Wars prequel scores, roughly thirty-five or so of the LSO members have been with the orchestra for twenty years or more and would therefore have played for John Williams on all three of those scores in all likelihood.  Make no mistake, John Williams will recognise a significant number of the LSO musicians when he comes to conduct the orchestra in October, god willing.  I am happy to list some more of them if anyone is interested.
 
EDIT: I took this photo yesterday.  Lennox Mackenzie is the gentleman immediately to the left of conductor Daniel Harding on the podium.  Noel Bradshaw is the cellist with the white hair a couple behind him, while Jennifer Brown is the cellist with the short hair just to the left of him and slightly further forward.
 
 

I went to watch the LSO just yesterday at the Barbican, playing Richard Strauss's Alpensinfonie amongst other things.  There were five members of the orchestra actually performing yesterday who have been in the LSO for 35 years or more and therefore might have played on Return of the Jedi and possibly even The Empire Strikes Back (I cannot say for certain only because I have never seen player listings for either of those scores).
 
The current longest-serving LSO member is first violin Colin Renwick, who I know definitely played on Raiders of the Lost Ark because his name is listed in the booklet.  The next longest-serving member is sub-leader Lennox Mackenzie, who joined the LSO in 1980 and shared the front desk yesterday with leader Roman Simovic.  Two of the cellists have also been with the LSO since the early 1980s, Jennifer Brown and Noel Bradshaw, as has double bass player Patrick Laurence.  All five were playing in yesterday evening's concert.  Another long-serving violinist, Nigel Broadbent, retired only recently.
 
With regard to the Star Wars prequel scores, roughly thirty-five or so of the LSO members have been with the orchestra for twenty years or more and would therefore have played for John Williams on all three of those scores in all likelihood.  Make no mistake, John Williams will recognise a significant number of the LSO musicians when he comes to conduct the orchestra in October, god willing.  I am happy to list some more of them if anyone is interested.
 
EDIT: I took this photo yesterday.  Lennox Mackenzie is the gentleman immediately to the left of conductor Daniel Harding on the podium.  Noel Bradshaw is the cellist with the white hair a couple behind him, while Jennifer Brown is the cellist with the short hair just to the left of him and slightly further forward.
 
 

"We have no idea - there is absolutely nothing left - we have no idea - there is absolut..." (you guess the rest, the last time i felt as welcome was the Vodafone service hotline)

I would implore the likes of @Incanus, @hornist and anyone else who was unlucky this morning not to despair.  Karol is right, as mentioned before many of the boxes at the Royal Albert Hall are privately owned so you find that box seats are randomly released for general sale in the weeks and months before the concert, generally without any fanfare or warning.  It is therefore worth checking the website every day (do not just rely on sales being announced on Twitter or wherever).
 
Also, did anyone buy a Gallery standing ticket?  No?  Then I reckon it is almost a 100% certainty that they will release Gallery tickets (numbering several hundred) in the coming weeks.  There is no way they will leave a whole section empty when the rest of the hall has sold out.  If anyone was wishing to attend on their own, I suggest ringing the RAH box office on 020 7589 8212 and asking if there are any 'fifth seats' in the second tier boxes available for sale.  I have no idea if there are, but it is surely worth a try and you might get one with a perfectly good view opposite the stage.
 
If they do not sell all the 'fine dining' boxes at exorbitant prices, you can also bet that the seats will come up for general sale at normal prices close to the date of the concert.  I appreciate that those from overseas also have travel considerations and no doubt need to know for definite whether or not they have a ticket, but please don't give up!  And don't pay touts for tickets at inflated prices either!
 
I will randomly check the website whenever I remember and post here if I see any tickets available in the coming weeks and months.  I am here to offer hope to the JW Fan massive.
 
 

If I had any to sell on because I couldn't attend something, I would NEVER charge someone more than the price that I paid. Anyone who does is a complete arse.
 
Look at these FU**ING PR*CKS!!
 
 

Maybe he'll be dropped directly onto the stage like the queen during the 2012 opening Olympic ceremony?
 
 
Karol

Wouldn't it be cool if the airline adapted the little maps on John Williams's flight (the ones on the screen that show you where the plane is flying over) to look like this?  Williams could write a new variation on the Flight to Cairo music for the experience, ending with an elaborately orchestrated Steineresque quote of Rule Britannia as the jet enters British airspace.
 

Gloria from Monsignor, featuring the Voice of Jupiter in all its glory and the massed voices of the London Symphony Chorus.  Plus the premiere of the suite from I Passed For White.

By the way folks, it was exactly forty years ago today (16th February 1978) that John Williams gave his first concert with the London Symphony Orchestra, entitled LSO In Space.  The venue?  The Royal Albert Hall in London.
 
Let's hope our Johnny wears the same clobber this time.
 

By the way folks, it was exactly forty years ago today (16th February 1978) that John Williams gave his first concert with the London Symphony Orchestra, entitled LSO In Space.  The venue?  The Royal Albert Hall in London.
 
Let's hope our Johnny wears the same clobber this time.
 

By the way folks, it was exactly forty years ago today (16th February 1978) that John Williams gave his first concert with the London Symphony Orchestra, entitled LSO In Space.  The venue?  The Royal Albert Hall in London.
 
Let's hope our Johnny wears the same clobber this time.
 

By the way folks, it was exactly forty years ago today (16th February 1978) that John Williams gave his first concert with the London Symphony Orchestra, entitled LSO In Space.  The venue?  The Royal Albert Hall in London.
 
Let's hope our Johnny wears the same clobber this time.
 

Gloria from Monsignor, featuring the Voice of Jupiter in all its glory and the massed voices of the London Symphony Chorus.  Plus the premiere of the suite from I Passed For White.

I would implore the likes of @Incanus, @hornist and anyone else who was unlucky this morning not to despair.  Karol is right, as mentioned before many of the boxes at the Royal Albert Hall are privately owned so you find that box seats are randomly released for general sale in the weeks and months before the concert, generally without any fanfare or warning.  It is therefore worth checking the website every day (do not just rely on sales being announced on Twitter or wherever).
 
Also, did anyone buy a Gallery standing ticket?  No?  Then I reckon it is almost a 100% certainty that they will release Gallery tickets (numbering several hundred) in the coming weeks.  There is no way they will leave a whole section empty when the rest of the hall has sold out.  If anyone was wishing to attend on their own, I suggest ringing the RAH box office on 020 7589 8212 and asking if there are any 'fifth seats' in the second tier boxes available for sale.  I have no idea if there are, but it is surely worth a try and you might get one with a perfectly good view opposite the stage.
 
If they do not sell all the 'fine dining' boxes at exorbitant prices, you can also bet that the seats will come up for general sale at normal prices close to the date of the concert.  I appreciate that those from overseas also have travel considerations and no doubt need to know for definite whether or not they have a ticket, but please don't give up!  And don't pay touts for tickets at inflated prices either!
 
I will randomly check the website whenever I remember and post here if I see any tickets available in the coming weeks and months.  I am here to offer hope to the JW Fan massive.
 
 

I would implore the likes of @Incanus, @hornist and anyone else who was unlucky this morning not to despair.  Karol is right, as mentioned before many of the boxes at the Royal Albert Hall are privately owned so you find that box seats are randomly released for general sale in the weeks and months before the concert, generally without any fanfare or warning.  It is therefore worth checking the website every day (do not just rely on sales being announced on Twitter or wherever).
 
Also, did anyone buy a Gallery standing ticket?  No?  Then I reckon it is almost a 100% certainty that they will release Gallery tickets (numbering several hundred) in the coming weeks.  There is no way they will leave a whole section empty when the rest of the hall has sold out.  If anyone was wishing to attend on their own, I suggest ringing the RAH box office on 020 7589 8212 and asking if there are any 'fifth seats' in the second tier boxes available for sale.  I have no idea if there are, but it is surely worth a try and you might get one with a perfectly good view opposite the stage.
 
If they do not sell all the 'fine dining' boxes at exorbitant prices, you can also bet that the seats will come up for general sale at normal prices close to the date of the concert.  I appreciate that those from overseas also have travel considerations and no doubt need to know for definite whether or not they have a ticket, but please don't give up!  And don't pay touts for tickets at inflated prices either!
 
I will randomly check the website whenever I remember and post here if I see any tickets available in the coming weeks and months.  I am here to offer hope to the JW Fan massive.
 
 

I would implore the likes of @Incanus, @hornist and anyone else who was unlucky this morning not to despair.  Karol is right, as mentioned before many of the boxes at the Royal Albert Hall are privately owned so you find that box seats are randomly released for general sale in the weeks and months before the concert, generally without any fanfare or warning.  It is therefore worth checking the website every day (do not just rely on sales being announced on Twitter or wherever).
 
Also, did anyone buy a Gallery standing ticket?  No?  Then I reckon it is almost a 100% certainty that they will release Gallery tickets (numbering several hundred) in the coming weeks.  There is no way they will leave a whole section empty when the rest of the hall has sold out.  If anyone was wishing to attend on their own, I suggest ringing the RAH box office on 020 7589 8212 and asking if there are any 'fifth seats' in the second tier boxes available for sale.  I have no idea if there are, but it is surely worth a try and you might get one with a perfectly good view opposite the stage.
 
If they do not sell all the 'fine dining' boxes at exorbitant prices, you can also bet that the seats will come up for general sale at normal prices close to the date of the concert.  I appreciate that those from overseas also have travel considerations and no doubt need to know for definite whether or not they have a ticket, but please don't give up!  And don't pay touts for tickets at inflated prices either!
 
I will randomly check the website whenever I remember and post here if I see any tickets available in the coming weeks and months.  I am here to offer hope to the JW Fan massive.
 
 

First of all, I'm deeply sorry for all the JWFans who didn't make the final rush and ended up with no ticket. I'm especially sorry for Pasi and Mikko, as I was looking forward to meet them in person. I hope you guys will manage to snag a ticket in some way!
 
Guys, I think this concert could end up as the biggest JW event in history. I can only imagine the excitement and joy that will be in the Hall that night (I very much hope there are plans to record/film the whole concert). And to be there with my loved one, my best friends and all of you who will be there is gonna be even more amazing.

Here are two more photos that might help those of you who have not been to the Royal Albert Hall before and are hoping to snaffle tickets tomorrow.  The first one is taken from row 9 of block H in the stalls (the stage is at the left of the photo).  These are the various sections of the hall shown in the photo, starting from the top:
 
At the top of the picture (underneath the arches, where we dream our dreams away) is the Gallery.  This is an unreserved standing section.  They often do not start to sell tickets for the gallery until the seats in the rest of the hall have sold out, sometimes weeks or months later.  This might be worth keeping an eye on if you are unlucky; you get a great view from most arches, although the view of the stage becomes progressively more restricted the closer you are to the stage.  This area is not for anyone who does not like heights but these are always the cheapest tickets. Next down is the Circle, consisting of six rows of seats.  The rake is steep so you do not have to worry about your view being blocked by people in front of you, although the view from some seats can be partially obscured by handrails.  As with the gallery, there are more restricted views the closer you get to the stage (i.e. the top left in the photo, which is block Y). Next down are the Second Tier Boxes, most of which have five chairs in them on two levels.  The view from most of these is great and can be quite cosy.  Seats here are generally priced similarly to those in the Stalls and Arena further down.  If the concert sells out and you are unlucky, it is sometimes worth ringing the RAH box office to ask if the fifth seat in the box (the one at the back) is available.  They often do not sell tickets for this seat on the website because the views can be very restricted from some of the boxes.  The seat is a sort of bar stool so that you are a little higher up than the two seats in front of you. Below these are the Grand Tier Boxes, usually the most expensive seats.  The Royal Box is in this tier, so if the Queen is a Williams fan and shows up you will see her waving and taking selfies from the box at the right of the picture (you might just be able to make out the one with the crown emblem above it). Below the grand tier boxes are the Loggia Boxes.  These have chairs in two rows and you are usually better off being in the front row, as your view can be obscured by the supporting pillars or people in the adjacent box if you are in the second row.  Most of the boxes are privately rented at great expense, so you will often find that seats in them become available nearer the date of the concert after it has 'sold out'.  Again, it is worth checking the website in the weeks leading up to the concert if you have been unlucky. The eleven rows of seats immediately below are the Stalls.  The blocks closest to the stage can give an excellent close up view of the conductor and orchestra, but a small part of the stage can be obscured the closer you get to the stage.  Even in the front row you are higher up than the people in the arena, although the higher rows towards the back are my preference.  If you are in the back row you can be unlucky if you happen to find yourself in front of a loggia box where the occupants have been enjoying the drinks in the interval!  Blocks H, J, L and M are generally considered to have the best sound, so if a composer is having a work premiered you will more often than not find them in those sections.  The seats in the stalls swivel, so you can face the stage wherever you are sitting without having to crane your neck.  For a Victorian building, legroom is surprisingly ample too. On the floor are the Arena seats, consisting of chairs in rows.  They are all on the same level so you often cannot see the members of the orchestra towards the back and are more likely to have your view blocked, especially if you are small!  However, you are of course directly in front of the orchestra and can see the whites of their eyes from the front rows. I do not know if Choir seats will be available, but if they are there is an upper and lower section each side of the famous Royal Albert Hall organ (aptly named the 'Voice of Jupiter').  These are great seats if you want a good view of the maestro John Williams and also a fantastic view of your fellow audience members in the rest of the hall.  The second photo is a view from the upper choir section.  
Good luck everybody!
 

Here are two more photos that might help those of you who have not been to the Royal Albert Hall before and are hoping to snaffle tickets tomorrow.  The first one is taken from row 9 of block H in the stalls (the stage is at the left of the photo).  These are the various sections of the hall shown in the photo, starting from the top:
 
At the top of the picture (underneath the arches, where we dream our dreams away) is the Gallery.  This is an unreserved standing section.  They often do not start to sell tickets for the gallery until the seats in the rest of the hall have sold out, sometimes weeks or months later.  This might be worth keeping an eye on if you are unlucky; you get a great view from most arches, although the view of the stage becomes progressively more restricted the closer you are to the stage.  This area is not for anyone who does not like heights but these are always the cheapest tickets. Next down is the Circle, consisting of six rows of seats.  The rake is steep so you do not have to worry about your view being blocked by people in front of you, although the view from some seats can be partially obscured by handrails.  As with the gallery, there are more restricted views the closer you get to the stage (i.e. the top left in the photo, which is block Y). Next down are the Second Tier Boxes, most of which have five chairs in them on two levels.  The view from most of these is great and can be quite cosy.  Seats here are generally priced similarly to those in the Stalls and Arena further down.  If the concert sells out and you are unlucky, it is sometimes worth ringing the RAH box office to ask if the fifth seat in the box (the one at the back) is available.  They often do not sell tickets for this seat on the website because the views can be very restricted from some of the boxes.  The seat is a sort of bar stool so that you are a little higher up than the two seats in front of you. Below these are the Grand Tier Boxes, usually the most expensive seats.  The Royal Box is in this tier, so if the Queen is a Williams fan and shows up you will see her waving and taking selfies from the box at the right of the picture (you might just be able to make out the one with the crown emblem above it). Below the grand tier boxes are the Loggia Boxes.  These have chairs in two rows and you are usually better off being in the front row, as your view can be obscured by the supporting pillars or people in the adjacent box if you are in the second row.  Most of the boxes are privately rented at great expense, so you will often find that seats in them become available nearer the date of the concert after it has 'sold out'.  Again, it is worth checking the website in the weeks leading up to the concert if you have been unlucky. The eleven rows of seats immediately below are the Stalls.  The blocks closest to the stage can give an excellent close up view of the conductor and orchestra, but a small part of the stage can be obscured the closer you get to the stage.  Even in the front row you are higher up than the people in the arena, although the higher rows towards the back are my preference.  If you are in the back row you can be unlucky if you happen to find yourself in front of a loggia box where the occupants have been enjoying the drinks in the interval!  Blocks H, J, L and M are generally considered to have the best sound, so if a composer is having a work premiered you will more often than not find them in those sections.  The seats in the stalls swivel, so you can face the stage wherever you are sitting without having to crane your neck.  For a Victorian building, legroom is surprisingly ample too. On the floor are the Arena seats, consisting of chairs in rows.  They are all on the same level so you often cannot see the members of the orchestra towards the back and are more likely to have your view blocked, especially if you are small!  However, you are of course directly in front of the orchestra and can see the whites of their eyes from the front rows. I do not know if Choir seats will be available, but if they are there is an upper and lower section each side of the famous Royal Albert Hall organ (aptly named the 'Voice of Jupiter').  These are great seats if you want a good view of the maestro John Williams and also a fantastic view of your fellow audience members in the rest of the hall.  The second photo is a view from the upper choir section.  
Good luck everybody!
 

I guess this will also be available on demand as usual, but for anyone who wants to hear it live, there it is.

Here are two more photos that might help those of you who have not been to the Royal Albert Hall before and are hoping to snaffle tickets tomorrow.  The first one is taken from row 9 of block H in the stalls (the stage is at the left of the photo).  These are the various sections of the hall shown in the photo, starting from the top:
 
At the top of the picture (underneath the arches, where we dream our dreams away) is the Gallery.  This is an unreserved standing section.  They often do not start to sell tickets for the gallery until the seats in the rest of the hall have sold out, sometimes weeks or months later.  This might be worth keeping an eye on if you are unlucky; you get a great view from most arches, although the view of the stage becomes progressively more restricted the closer you are to the stage.  This area is not for anyone who does not like heights but these are always the cheapest tickets. Next down is the Circle, consisting of six rows of seats.  The rake is steep so you do not have to worry about your view being blocked by people in front of you, although the view from some seats can be partially obscured by handrails.  As with the gallery, there are more restricted views the closer you get to the stage (i.e. the top left in the photo, which is block Y). Next down are the Second Tier Boxes, most of which have five chairs in them on two levels.  The view from most of these is great and can be quite cosy.  Seats here are generally priced similarly to those in the Stalls and Arena further down.  If the concert sells out and you are unlucky, it is sometimes worth ringing the RAH box office to ask if the fifth seat in the box (the one at the back) is available.  They often do not sell tickets for this seat on the website because the views can be very restricted from some of the boxes.  The seat is a sort of bar stool so that you are a little higher up than the two seats in front of you. Below these are the Grand Tier Boxes, usually the most expensive seats.  The Royal Box is in this tier, so if the Queen is a Williams fan and shows up you will see her waving and taking selfies from the box at the right of the picture (you might just be able to make out the one with the crown emblem above it). Below the grand tier boxes are the Loggia Boxes.  These have chairs in two rows and you are usually better off being in the front row, as your view can be obscured by the supporting pillars or people in the adjacent box if you are in the second row.  Most of the boxes are privately rented at great expense, so you will often find that seats in them become available nearer the date of the concert after it has 'sold out'.  Again, it is worth checking the website in the weeks leading up to the concert if you have been unlucky. The eleven rows of seats immediately below are the Stalls.  The blocks closest to the stage can give an excellent close up view of the conductor and orchestra, but a small part of the stage can be obscured the closer you get to the stage.  Even in the front row you are higher up than the people in the arena, although the higher rows towards the back are my preference.  If you are in the back row you can be unlucky if you happen to find yourself in front of a loggia box where the occupants have been enjoying the drinks in the interval!  Blocks H, J, L and M are generally considered to have the best sound, so if a composer is having a work premiered you will more often than not find them in those sections.  The seats in the stalls swivel, so you can face the stage wherever you are sitting without having to crane your neck.  For a Victorian building, legroom is surprisingly ample too. On the floor are the Arena seats, consisting of chairs in rows.  They are all on the same level so you often cannot see the members of the orchestra towards the back and are more likely to have your view blocked, especially if you are small!  However, you are of course directly in front of the orchestra and can see the whites of their eyes from the front rows. I do not know if Choir seats will be available, but if they are there is an upper and lower section each side of the famous Royal Albert Hall organ (aptly named the 'Voice of Jupiter').  These are great seats if you want a good view of the maestro John Williams and also a fantastic view of your fellow audience members in the rest of the hall.  The second photo is a view from the upper choir section.  
Good luck everybody!
 

Here are two more photos that might help those of you who have not been to the Royal Albert Hall before and are hoping to snaffle tickets tomorrow.  The first one is taken from row 9 of block H in the stalls (the stage is at the left of the photo).  These are the various sections of the hall shown in the photo, starting from the top:
 
At the top of the picture (underneath the arches, where we dream our dreams away) is the Gallery.  This is an unreserved standing section.  They often do not start to sell tickets for the gallery until the seats in the rest of the hall have sold out, sometimes weeks or months later.  This might be worth keeping an eye on if you are unlucky; you get a great view from most arches, although the view of the stage becomes progressively more restricted the closer you are to the stage.  This area is not for anyone who does not like heights but these are always the cheapest tickets. Next down is the Circle, consisting of six rows of seats.  The rake is steep so you do not have to worry about your view being blocked by people in front of you, although the view from some seats can be partially obscured by handrails.  As with the gallery, there are more restricted views the closer you get to the stage (i.e. the top left in the photo, which is block Y). Next down are the Second Tier Boxes, most of which have five chairs in them on two levels.  The view from most of these is great and can be quite cosy.  Seats here are generally priced similarly to those in the Stalls and Arena further down.  If the concert sells out and you are unlucky, it is sometimes worth ringing the RAH box office to ask if the fifth seat in the box (the one at the back) is available.  They often do not sell tickets for this seat on the website because the views can be very restricted from some of the boxes.  The seat is a sort of bar stool so that you are a little higher up than the two seats in front of you. Below these are the Grand Tier Boxes, usually the most expensive seats.  The Royal Box is in this tier, so if the Queen is a Williams fan and shows up you will see her waving and taking selfies from the box at the right of the picture (you might just be able to make out the one with the crown emblem above it). Below the grand tier boxes are the Loggia Boxes.  These have chairs in two rows and you are usually better off being in the front row, as your view can be obscured by the supporting pillars or people in the adjacent box if you are in the second row.  Most of the boxes are privately rented at great expense, so you will often find that seats in them become available nearer the date of the concert after it has 'sold out'.  Again, it is worth checking the website in the weeks leading up to the concert if you have been unlucky. The eleven rows of seats immediately below are the Stalls.  The blocks closest to the stage can give an excellent close up view of the conductor and orchestra, but a small part of the stage can be obscured the closer you get to the stage.  Even in the front row you are higher up than the people in the arena, although the higher rows towards the back are my preference.  If you are in the back row you can be unlucky if you happen to find yourself in front of a loggia box where the occupants have been enjoying the drinks in the interval!  Blocks H, J, L and M are generally considered to have the best sound, so if a composer is having a work premiered you will more often than not find them in those sections.  The seats in the stalls swivel, so you can face the stage wherever you are sitting without having to crane your neck.  For a Victorian building, legroom is surprisingly ample too. On the floor are the Arena seats, consisting of chairs in rows.  They are all on the same level so you often cannot see the members of the orchestra towards the back and are more likely to have your view blocked, especially if you are small!  However, you are of course directly in front of the orchestra and can see the whites of their eyes from the front rows. I do not know if Choir seats will be available, but if they are there is an upper and lower section each side of the famous Royal Albert Hall organ (aptly named the 'Voice of Jupiter').  These are great seats if you want a good view of the maestro John Williams and also a fantastic view of your fellow audience members in the rest of the hall.  The second photo is a view from the upper choir section.  
Good luck everybody!
 

Here are two more photos that might help those of you who have not been to the Royal Albert Hall before and are hoping to snaffle tickets tomorrow.  The first one is taken from row 9 of block H in the stalls (the stage is at the left of the photo).  These are the various sections of the hall shown in the photo, starting from the top:
 
At the top of the picture (underneath the arches, where we dream our dreams away) is the Gallery.  This is an unreserved standing section.  They often do not start to sell tickets for the gallery until the seats in the rest of the hall have sold out, sometimes weeks or months later.  This might be worth keeping an eye on if you are unlucky; you get a great view from most arches, although the view of the stage becomes progressively more restricted the closer you are to the stage.  This area is not for anyone who does not like heights but these are always the cheapest tickets. Next down is the Circle, consisting of six rows of seats.  The rake is steep so you do not have to worry about your view being blocked by people in front of you, although the view from some seats can be partially obscured by handrails.  As with the gallery, there are more restricted views the closer you get to the stage (i.e. the top left in the photo, which is block Y). Next down are the Second Tier Boxes, most of which have five chairs in them on two levels.  The view from most of these is great and can be quite cosy.  Seats here are generally priced similarly to those in the Stalls and Arena further down.  If the concert sells out and you are unlucky, it is sometimes worth ringing the RAH box office to ask if the fifth seat in the box (the one at the back) is available.  They often do not sell tickets for this seat on the website because the views can be very restricted from some of the boxes.  The seat is a sort of bar stool so that you are a little higher up than the two seats in front of you. Below these are the Grand Tier Boxes, usually the most expensive seats.  The Royal Box is in this tier, so if the Queen is a Williams fan and shows up you will see her waving and taking selfies from the box at the right of the picture (you might just be able to make out the one with the crown emblem above it). Below the grand tier boxes are the Loggia Boxes.  These have chairs in two rows and you are usually better off being in the front row, as your view can be obscured by the supporting pillars or people in the adjacent box if you are in the second row.  Most of the boxes are privately rented at great expense, so you will often find that seats in them become available nearer the date of the concert after it has 'sold out'.  Again, it is worth checking the website in the weeks leading up to the concert if you have been unlucky. The eleven rows of seats immediately below are the Stalls.  The blocks closest to the stage can give an excellent close up view of the conductor and orchestra, but a small part of the stage can be obscured the closer you get to the stage.  Even in the front row you are higher up than the people in the arena, although the higher rows towards the back are my preference.  If you are in the back row you can be unlucky if you happen to find yourself in front of a loggia box where the occupants have been enjoying the drinks in the interval!  Blocks H, J, L and M are generally considered to have the best sound, so if a composer is having a work premiered you will more often than not find them in those sections.  The seats in the stalls swivel, so you can face the stage wherever you are sitting without having to crane your neck.  For a Victorian building, legroom is surprisingly ample too. On the floor are the Arena seats, consisting of chairs in rows.  They are all on the same level so you often cannot see the members of the orchestra towards the back and are more likely to have your view blocked, especially if you are small!  However, you are of course directly in front of the orchestra and can see the whites of their eyes from the front rows. I do not know if Choir seats will be available, but if they are there is an upper and lower section each side of the famous Royal Albert Hall organ (aptly named the 'Voice of Jupiter').  These are great seats if you want a good view of the maestro John Williams and also a fantastic view of your fellow audience members in the rest of the hall.  The second photo is a view from the upper choir section.  
Good luck everybody!
 

The best seats for sound are generally considered to be in the stalls and the grand tier boxes.  I would recommend blocks H, J, L or M in the stalls and because the rows of seats are steeply raked your view will not be blocked by the people in the row in front of you.  I prefer the rows towards the back of the stalls rather than the front, as the further back you are the higher up you are and therefore will see more of the orchestra.
 
The parts of the hall directly opposite the stage (so at 6 o'clock if the stage is at 12 o'clock) can be good for live in concert screenings, but the sound of some sections of the orchestra can be completely lost (e.g. the violins).
 
If you can, I would definitely try to avoid the sections of the circle nearer the stage (blocks P and Y), as many of the seats have a restricted view in that you can only see half the orchestra.
 
Some people like the seats in the arena (especially the front few rows to be up close and personal with the conductor), but because the rows are all on the same level you cannot see some of the players towards the back of the orchestra and can have your view blocked by the person in front of you as the seats are not staggered.
 
I also like the second tier boxes as there are only five seats in each and you get a great view of everything from most of them (except from the 'fifth' seat at the back, which is sometimes sold as restricted view).  The pictures below show the view from the back of the circle (1), from one of second tier boxes (2) and from the stalls (3).