I'm not at all fond of the on-stage pre-show announcement at concerts.
These house-keeping type announcements invariably deal with matters that could be handled more memorably in print (thank yous) or more matter-of-factly with a voice-over from backstage (please turn off your mobile phone). No matter how beautifully spoken, they have a mundane aspect that kills the anticipatory mood. They remind me of the point in church services when we are obliged to pause from the beauty and awe of liturgical worship while the minister explains the new arrangements for the crèche, musters volunteers for the next fête and thanks the ladies who arranged this week's flowers… Put it in the program, I say!
(I'm not referring here to on-stage concert presentations or introductions to the music. These tend to make me think of the girl-with-the-curl: when they are good they are very very good; when they are bad they are horrid.)