VICTORIA’S SECRETS!
Ju gr 19 sa pa suc agath Historian DR RICHARD TALBOT MBE looks back at the gro falli construction and great nights of Hanley’s Victoria Hall... secu mou
AT the end of my article last week on the Queen’s Hotel, I briefly mentioned the borough council’s need of a large assembly hall in Hanley, the intended name of which is now one of the Potteries’ treasures, the Victoria Hall.
Following the opening of the town hall in 1886, thoughts turned to the need for a large assembly hall.
The brief was given to the borough engineer and surveyor, Joseph Lobley. The site was to the rear of the town hall, situated on the former bowling green to the Queen’s Hotel.
The new hall had to be of a standard to complement the new town hall and the reputation of Hanley.
Its main attribute since has been its outstanding acoustics, valued by world renowned artists.
Many over the years considered it a feature by accident and yet previously undiscovered notes and plans show that the hall was specifically designed by Lobley to achieve the reputation it has today.
The dimensions were like Birmingham Town Hall but with an additional gallery. The seating accommodation was to be in the region of 2,700.
The priority of Lobley was the acoustic properties. The design itself supported this.
With this in mind Lobley visited Manchester Free Trade Hall and others halls where it was known the acoustics were good to obtain both measurements and structural details to feed into his calculations.
Once drawings were completed they were sent a to T. Roger Smith, professor of architecture at the University College London, one of the country’s leading authorities on acoustics for his comments.
In his response he mentioned that Mr Lobley had regularly spoken with him about his plans and was delighted that his suggestions had been incorporated in the final draft.
He referred to both the front and the back walls as being semi-circular, which would have the affect of absorbing the sound at the rear of the hall and stop any echo. At the orchestra end the wall encapsulated the sound to project it forward.
In many concert venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, there are arches with the passageway behind at the rear of the top gallery. This allowed the sound to flow as they offered no obstruction to the sound waves. A straight wall would. This is incorporated at the Victoria Hall.
Looking up to the ceiling I have often wondered why it is so shaped and not simply flat. The ceiling is almost concave in its structure. Even the roof trusses below the ceiling have a purpose as they act to check and break up any tendency of a rolling sound.
In his conclusion, Professor Smith stated that it was his belief that this hall would be commodious and extremely striking in appearance and excellent in its acoustic quality.
The reputation of the acoustics was down to the ingenuity and determination of one man – Joseph Lobley.
Shortly after the report a decision was made for the venue to be named the Victoria Hall because it was built in the same year of Queen Victoria’s Golen Jubilee.
The hall is also renowned for its superb organ. It was originally installed at the Royal Golden Jubilee Exhibition Centre at Saltaire in 1887 by one of the famous organ builders of the time, Peter Conacher of Huddersfield.
With the building of the Victoria Hall the potter, George Meakin, purchased the Saltaire organ and gifted it to Hanley Borough Council in time for the opening in October 1888. The Hanley organ is known for its tone, has attracted top organ recitalists and thrilled audiences.
In 1988, the hall’s centenary, the city council restored the organ to perfect order and it is now regarded as one of the most important concert organs in Europe.
The foundation stone was laid in August 1887 and the hall was officially opened on October 4, 1888. On October 11, the same year as the first North Staffordshire Musical Festival, a charity concert in aid of the North Staffs Infirmary and other local hospitals was held.
The hall was packed, the arena, balcony and gallery crowded, and in the stalls, people were standing right up to the doors. Since then, the Victoria Hall has witnessed hundreds of occasions like this.
In 1905 the world-famous Carl Rosa Opera performed Lohengrin, a romantic opera composed and written by Richard Wagner to a packed house.
The Victoria Hall has experienced many changes in tastes of music, from world renowned singers, the finest instrumentalists and choirs. Throughout its history the floorboards have been trod by international evangelists, gospel choirs, politicians and pupils appearing in school concerts.
The hall was the venue for the launch of the Lidice Shall Live campaign on September 6, 1942. It followed the destruction of the C Czech ht town b by th the Nazis
Not surprisingly, some of the world’s best-known singers have graced the stage, including Paul Robeson who had a magnificent bass voice. On one occasion the audience stood and roared a welcome as he stepped onto the platform – he appeared in 1930 and again in 1939.
Then at the other end of the voice scale was international star – tenor Richard Tauber. He appeared in January 1939.
In 1941 he returned, this time conducting the London Philharmonic, and then again to sing in October 1944. From that year until 1947 saw a flow of appearances of the finest contralto of her time, Kathleen Ferrier. In 1944 she appeared with the Etruscan Choral Society in their performance of the Messiah conducted no less then by Malcolm Sargent.
In 1947, she appeared with the Ceramic City Choir in their Messiah alongside the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and again the same year again with the Etruscan Choir.
A further favourite for the Potteries was Gracie Fields who appeared in November 1949 and then again for her farewell tour in November 1952 when tears fell at this intensely moving occasion as she sang Sally, Sing As We Go, Now Is The Hour and lastly Wish Me Luck.
One of the finest husband-andwife teams, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, trod the boards to a packed hall in March 1947. This was followed - billed as “Britain’s Greatest Tenor” – Josef Locke in March 1950.
Other legends followed, including Joan Hammond, Nat King Cole, Shirley Bassey, Winifred Attwell, all to sell-out audiences. In 1958, Cliff Richard and the Drifters (with Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch), who later became the Shadows, performed their first ever live professional performance together at the Victoria Hall then returned in May 1959.
Now, as always, the hall has a reputation for large orchestras – including The Halle with both John Barbirolli and then Malcolm Sargent conducting. In 1940 they presented a special concert especially for workers advertising ‘come in your working attire, no evening dress’. The Liverpool Philharmonic, The Grenadier Guards Band in 1949 and for years the North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra delighted audiences.
There was also decades of wrestling with regular appearances of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks and Kendo Nagasaki. All great nights.
From the early 1970s it could be described as Rollermania.
In April 1972, the Electric Light Orchestra visited but on their return visit in 1976 it was feared that the frenzied audience might literally bring the house down. Sound experts were consulted as screaming rock fans could produce dangerous levels of vibrations.
Roy Orbison appeared in July 1972, followed by the great David Bowie in May 1973. In the November of the same year Queen played to a packed house and it was so successful they played there again in October 1974.
Then, in May 1975, came a group who had teenagers falling in fits at their feet –the Bay City Rollers. A police security operation was mounted as thousands of fans with no tickets caused chaos. The corridors of the hall became emergency first aid stations as fans fainted or overcome with emotion as lead singer Les Mckeown teased his teenage fans.
But someone who really lived up to their bizarre reputation was Elton John who graced the stage on the May 6, 1976. What a night!
The vast stage was covered with a white fur carpet as was the top of his elaborate piano.
Never one to do things by halves his concert proved to be a memorable both for his outfits, his glasses and, more importantly his music. Many, so mesmerised, were seen jumping onto their seats totally overcome by his performance and transfixed by the brilliance of the man.