Music Hall Aberdeen

The Music Hall is a concert hall in Aberdeen, Scotland, formerly the city's Assembly Rooms, located on Union Street in the city centre.

Music Hall Aberdeen
AddressUnion Street
Aberdeen
Scotland, United Kingdom
OwnerAberdeen Performing Arts
TypeRegional Music Hall
Capacity1,281 (Seated)
Current useConcerts, comedy, variety, exhibitions, art & craft fairs
Construction
Opened1852
ArchitectArchibald Simpson
Website
www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/music-hall/
Listed Building – Category A
Official nameMusic Hall
Designated28 February 1962
Reference no.LB19991

History
Interior of Music Hall

The venue was designed in 1820 by Archibald Simpson, a notable Aberdeen architect, and cost £11,500 when it was originally constructed in 1822.[1] It was opened to the public as a concert hall in 1859. In September 1896, the building hosted the first cinema screening in Aberdeen.[2]

The building was renovated in the 1980s.[3] It was closed for further extensive renovation in 2016 with a £9 million investment, and reopened in December 2018.[4]

Suffragette activism

Aberdeen Music Hall was the scene of a suffragette activist incident in December 1907,[5] when protesters disrupted a visit from the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Henry Asquith.[6] This resulted in a fight in the orchestra pit and the suffragettes being thrown out.[7][8] It also compromised Caroline Phillips' position as honorary secretary of the Aberdeen branch of the Women's Social and Political Union due to her opposition to this protest[8] - she was ultimately dismissed in 1909.[7]

Another incident occurred in 1912 when women hid with 'explosives' which turned out to be toy guns, when then Chancellor of the Exchequer Lloyd George was due to speak. The three women were arrested and imprisoned.[9]

War Memorial

There is a bronze plaque inside the lobby of the Music Hall, bearing the names of all those from Aberdeen who served in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The memorial was removed during the 2016 refurbishment and as of August 2019 is currently stored at the Aberdeen Trades Council.[10]

Events

The Music Hall regularly plays host to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the annual Aberdeen International Youth Festival, and various pop/rock artists. Some notable artists who have performed at the Music Hall include David Bowie, Emeli Sandé, Led Zeppelin, Bullet for My Valentine, Placebo, Morrissey, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath.

References
  1. "Aberdeenshire Council Historic Environment Record - Aberdeen City - NJ90NW0110 - MUSIC HALL, UNION STREET, ABERDEEN". online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  2. Historic Environment Scotland. "Union Street, South Silver Street and Golden Square, Music Hall (Category A Listed Building) (LB19991)". Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  3. "Music Hall - History & Tour". Archived from the original on 22 February 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2007.
  4. Welch, Adrian (1 September 2016). "Aberdeen Music Hall Building Redevelopment". e-architect. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  5. Brocklehurst, Steven (6 February 2018). "Having a suffragette in the family". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  6. Ferguson, Laura (7 February 2018). "Pioneering Aberdeen journalist put job on the line to spearhead suffrage movement in North-east - Evening Express". Evening Express. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  7. "BBC Scotland - The brutal telegram revealing how the Pankhursts unceremoniously dismissed a loyal suffragette". BBC. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  8. "Sarah Pedersen: A unique archive of suffragette correspondence in Scotland". Scottish History Network. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  9. Pedersen, Sarah. "The Aberdeen Women's Suffrage Campaign". suffrageaberdeen.co.uk. copyright WildFireOne. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  10. "City Of Aberdeen - Spanish Civil War". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 17 August 2019.

57°8′42″N 2°6′18″W


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