Bands In The Park – St. James’s Park, London
VENUE : St. James’s Park, London, opposite Buckingham Palace
LOCATION : Right in the centre of London, between Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. The bandstand is close to the bridge.
TIME : 3pm to 6.20pm, Saturday and Sunday
TRANSPORT LINKS : St. James’s Park tube station.
COMMENTS : St. James’s Park is probably the granddaddy of all band seasons, although 2009 has seen a considerable deterioration.
There can be no finer setting for band music in a park. Only the Jephson Gardens in Leamington Spa can match it.
The bands play for longer here than they do anywhere else. The standard here has traditionally been the best in any park season, although there has been a severe drop off in 2009, which is worrying. The crowds are also larger than you will find in any other park if the weather is right.
On a negative side, you do have to pay for the rent of your chair, although a £2 ticket will get you the 4 hours you need to cover the whole event. The deckchairs are comfortable and easy to adjust.
There is nowhere else providing live music on both Saturdays and Sundays. The only problem is that the season only starts on the last weekend in June, which is well after most other seasons have started.
If you are in London on Saturday, you may be able to get a bonus event in the evening at St. Martin in the Fields, just across Trafalgar Square. You can hear some fine Baroque and even Classical era music here. Tickets start at £6, although you won’t be able to see anything for that money!
MARK : 8/10
WHAT ST. JAMES’S PARK LONDON COULD DO TO IMPROVE : 2009 has seen a considerable drop-off in standard, and many of the Championship Section bands who have played here in the past are not happy. I hope this is only a temporary blip, and that we can get back on track in 2010.
I would like to see a special deckchair ticket issued for the band events, so spectators were not disturbed by attendants asking to verify that you have paid while the music is in progress.
I would also like to see the season extended. Maybe this is asking too much, but this is a charged season due to the chair fee, so getting extra people in to the park from May onwards would be no bad thing. They should think about the Bank Holiday Mondays, as well.
THE 2010 SEASON
I am delighted to say that the standard of the bands booked for 2010 shows a considerable improvement from 2009, and also that the fixtures have been announced much earlier in the year. Well done, London.
For the fixtures, CLICK HERE