No offence here, guys (and gals)
Most of your repertoire of classical music here is limited to a "The most popular classical music of all times compiled for a romantic candlelight dinner" - which is veeery ok.
My point is different: After reading your posts i am quite sure that some of you have never/long time not been in a classical concert. Personally I love Hard-, Metal -, Prog-, Art Rock (remember ??), Techno and so on.

But to hear the tremendous power of a symphony orchestra in 12m distance or the incredible boost of a big pipe organ beats ANY PA-System. Maybe the sound engineer FOH makes the sound louder than an Orchestra. But the dynamics never are the same.
Believe me: go and listen. It will be an unforgettable experience.

Oh, and your reputation as computer-addicted could positively change at your possible parents-in-law

I go to the Hallé in Manchester once every 3 months or so, or if they come to Stoke I go to the Victoria Hall, and I also occassionally go to the City of Birmingham Sym Orch which I've been a supporter of since I was a student in Brum and Simon Rattle took it over (he's moved on since of course)

On Saturday (12th) I'm going to the Hallé peformance of Glinka, Shostakovich, Borodin and Rachmaninov. The whole family will go for the Christmas Fantasia

if I lived in London I'd be off to the concert halls and operas almost every night, but I don't Certain people who live in Manhattan have of course amongst the very finest pick of artistic venues on their doorstep, as it were.

I was heading to the younger generation - but don't worry, i am older than you

oh good-oh, i wouldn't want anyone to think I listen to classical wallpaper <shudders> it's Radio 3 for me, not Classic FM.

hmmmm....nearest I've ever been to a classical concert was when a German band came to play in Umboto Gorge...Classical music isn't that big in SA, I think you can maybe get concerts in the big cities, mainly Pretoria(Sorry Tshwane or however you spell that) and Cape Town...but yea...

you carry on caling it Pretoria, none of us know where Maphathutshanwe or whatever it is, is.

well i play the viola and violin and i think the only good composers are the ones whos music is cheap to buy on a sheet and have a great tune.
but some may disagree. my favourite peice ever to play is Eina Clina (i have definately spelt it wrong (shows what a musical talent i am))

Eina Clina? Isn't she that coloratura from Peru?

zazie - actually, I have been to a performance of the TSO recently. And it was well-played, but the composition was too typically of the romantic era. Twas blah.

Though to add to my list, Max Bruch and Jean-Baptiste Lully are amazing composers, though not so well known.