▁created ▁a ▁public ▁for ▁classical ▁and ▁modern ▁music ." ▁ ▁New man ' s ▁determ ination ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁prom en ade ▁concert s ▁attract ive ▁to ▁everyone ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁permit ▁sm oking ▁during ▁concert s , ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁formally ▁prohib ited ▁at ▁the ▁Prom s ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁Ref resh ments ▁were ▁available ▁in ▁all ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁hall ▁throughout ▁the ▁concert s , ▁not ▁only ▁during ▁intervals . ▁Pr ices ▁were ▁consider ably ▁lower ▁than ▁those ▁custom arily ▁charged ▁for ▁classical ▁concert s : ▁the ▁prom en ade ▁( the ▁standing ▁area ) ▁was ▁one ▁sh illing , ▁the ▁bal con y ▁two ▁sh ill ings , ▁and ▁the ▁grand ▁circle ▁( res erved ▁seats ) ▁three ▁and ▁five ▁sh ill ings . ▁ ▁New man ▁needed ▁to ▁find ▁financial ▁backing ▁for ▁his ▁first ▁season . ▁Dr ▁George ▁C ath cart , ▁a ▁wealth y ▁ear , ▁nose ▁and ▁thro at ▁special ist , ▁offered ▁to ▁spons or ▁it ▁on ▁two ▁conditions : ▁that ▁Wood ▁should ▁conduct ▁every ▁concert , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁pitch ▁of ▁the ▁orch est ral ▁instruments ▁should ▁be ▁lower ed ▁to ▁the ▁European ▁standard ▁dia p ason ▁normal . ▁Con cert ▁pitch ▁in ▁England ▁was ▁nearly ▁a ▁sem it one ▁higher ▁than ▁that ▁used ▁on ▁the ▁continent , ▁and ▁C ath cart ▁regarded ▁it ▁as ▁dam aging ▁for ▁sing ers ' ▁voices . ▁Wood , ▁from ▁his ▁experience ▁as ▁a ▁singing ▁teacher , ▁agreed . ▁As ▁members ▁of ▁Wood ' s