Venue of the month

The UK’S best concert halls

20. Music Hall

Where: Aberdeen

Opened: 1859

Seats: 1,300

When Aberdeen’s Assembly Rooms opened amid much pomp and ceremony in 1822, the building was intended to provide a place for the Scottish city’s great and good to meet, mingle and be entertained by famous names such as Charles Dickens and the magician John Anderson. Someone later came up with the idea of staging large-scale musical events, but radical rebuilding was needed to create a space large enough to do so – walls were removed, and the banqueting hall replaced by a concert hall, complete with Henry Willis organ. Renamed Music Hall, the new venue was opened in 1859 by Prince Albert, who made his way down from Balmoral to cut the ribbon.

Situated on the corner of Union Street and South Silver Street, Music Hall has now been welcoming great names from the classical music world through its Ionic pillars for nearly 160 years – legendary singers Jenny Lind and Clara Butt were among its earlier star turns. Though a £9m overhaul saw concerts take a two-year break, the venue re-opened for business in December 2018, with regular visitors such as the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Dunedin Consort and Royal Scottish National Orchestra set to take this Aberdeen stage once more.