By the way... is there any good organ in Switzerland?

I don't ask about organists because when there is a good organ, it is surrounded by at least a couple of very good organists.

On the dress code thing - I refuse to dress up simply because it's a classical concert, and it makes me very sad when I see a concert hall full of stiff, be-suited 70 year olds plus a few equally stiff, chic thirtysomethings.

I like the orchestra being "in uniform" because that's part of the theatre, but on the audience side, any feeling that there is an obligation to dress up can only be detrimental to the future of live classical music.

There are some good (but very infrequent) concerts at the Temple du Bas in Neuchâtel, but it's best to avoid anything with a big orchestra, the hall isn't big enough to contain the sound. Best seats are upstairs.

Edit: Just to add something on Swiss concert halls, as a word of warning. I went to see a piano recital at the Casino in Bern (was supposed to be Murray Perahia but he was replaced at the last minute), and from the cheapest seats you can see absolutely NOTHING. The stage is entirely invisible because of the angles - admittedly these seats were very cheap indeed. Luckily the hall wasn't full and it was possible to move into seats where half of the stage was visible.

Lucerne’s professional choir, Ensemble Corund, invites you to its traditional Christmas concert at the KKL Lucerne, Dec 26 2011, 5pm

The programme is exclusively about English Christmas Carols:

Gustav Holst’s „Christmas Day,
Choral Fantasy on Old Carols“,
Gerald Finzi’s „Dies Natalis“,
Cantata for tenor and string orchestra
(tenor soloist: James Elliott)
and Christmas Carols by John Rutter,
Herbert Howells, William Matthias and others.
Orchestra La Banda ANTIX (Igor Karsko)
Stephen Smith, conductor


If anyone is interested, I have 2 tickets that I'm selling for 80fr ono (paid 160fr) since we wont be in town for this sadly.

Have a look at the list of organs in Zürich. The ones in Grossmünster and Fraumünster are good. You can look up the details (in German).
Hans Vollenweider, Andreas Vollenweider's father, used to play the organ in Grossmünster til mid eighties.

http://www.orgel-zh.ch/de/01_standort/01_auswahl.htm

And a bit of history regarding the Metzler Organs in Hombrechtikon and Grossmünster.
http://www.orgelbau.ch/domains/orgel...on%20kpl_2.pdf