Your first classical concert

Arrive about half an hour early: there is a cloakroom, a bar for a drink before and during the interval, and often a free introduction by a musician or musicologist before the concert.

The orchestra comes on stage first and tunes to an A from the oboe. Then the leader of the violins bows, the conductor walks on, and the hall goes quiet.

Most evening concerts start at 7.30pm and last about two hours, with an interval of twenty minutes.

A symphony or concerto has several movements with short pauses between them. Most audiences stay silent in those pauses and clap at the end of the whole piece, when the conductor lowers their arms.

Nobody minds if you clap too early, and after a thrilling first movement some audiences do. At the opera you can applaud after a big aria; in a recital you can wait for the musician to lower their instrument.

Not sure? Wait for the people around you, then clap as long as you like.

Wear whatever you would wear to a nice restaurant, or to the office. Jeans are fine everywhere; you will see suits and dresses next to trainers.

Galas, first nights and New Year's concerts are a little dressier, but even there nobody is turned away for their clothes.

Buy from the hall or the orchestra's own website, where tickets go on sale months ahead; resale sites charge more and their tickets can be invalid.

Many halls and orchestras offer cheaper tickets to young people and students, with age limits that differ per hall. Ask about concessions for low-income visitors, and about access schemes.

The cheapest seats are often the best value: in halls with seats behind or beside the stage you see the conductor's face and hear the orchestra from the inside. The BBC Proms sell standing places for each concert.

Lunchtime concerts are one of the best-kept secrets of concert life: about an hour of music at midday, free or for a small charge, in churches and halls in many cities.

Conservatoires give student recitals, and cathedrals and churches hold organ recitals and choral evensong, with a collection at the door.

Family concerts are short, often an hour or less, and made for children, with a story, a presenter and an age on the ticket.

For regular evening concerts, check the hall's age advice; children who can sit still for forty minutes usually enjoy a matinee with a famous piece.

Most concert halls are step-free, with spaces for wheelchairs and a seat for a companion. Book these through the hall's box office rather than online.

Many halls have hearing loops in their main auditorium; ask at the box office or the cloakroom.

Evening concerts usually end between 9.30pm and 10.30pm. Check the last train or bus home before you go: on some routes the last services are early.

Plan your journey in the operator's app or on National Rail before the concert, not after, and if you travel to another city it is worth arranging a place to stay.