Music Hall, Aberdeen
 | |
 Interactive map of Music Hall | |
| Address | Union Street Aberdeen Scotland |
|---|---|
| Owner | Aberdeen Performing Arts |
| Capacity | 1,281 (Seated) |
| Type | Performing arts centre |
Current use | Concerts, comedy, variety, exhibitions, art & craft fairs |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1852 |
| Architect | Archibald Simpson |
| Website | |
| www | |
Listed Building – Category A | |
Official name | Music Hall |
| Designated | 28 February 1962 |
| Reference no. | LB19991 |
The Music Hall is a concert hall in Aberdeen, Scotland, formerly the city's Assembly Rooms, located on Union Street in the city centre.
History
[edit]
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. On 28 September 1896, the building hosted the first cinema screening in Aberdeen, which featured footage of Highland and serpentine dancing along with scenes of Westminster Bridge, a coronation and a workshop.[2][3]
The building was renovated in the 1980s.[4] It was closed for further extensive renovation in 2016 with a £9 million investment, and reopened in December 2018.[5]
Suffragette activism
[edit]Aberdeen Music Hall was the scene of a suffragette activist incident on 19 December 1907,[6][7] when protesters disrupted a visit from the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Henry Asquith.[8] This resulted in a fight in the orchestra pit and the suffragettes being thrown out.[9][10] 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[10] – she was ultimately dismissed in 1909.[9]
Another incident occurred in 1912 when women hid with 'explosives' which turned out to be toy guns, when then Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George was due to speak. The three women were arrested and imprisoned.[11]
War memorial
[edit]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.[12]
Events
[edit]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, Teenage Fanclub, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Beluga Lagoon have also played there.
References
[edit]- ↑ "Aberdeenshire Council Historic Environment Record – Aberdeen City – NJ90NW0110 – MUSIC HALL, UNION STREET, ABERDEEN". online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Union Street, South Silver Street and Golden Square, Music Hall (Category A Listed Building LB19991)". Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- ↑ "Moving Photographs". Aberdeen Journal. 25 September 1896. p. 4. Retrieved 18 April 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Music Hall – History & Tour". Archived from the original on 22 February 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2007.
- ↑ Welch, Adrian (1 September 2016). "Aberdeen Music Hall Building Redevelopment". e-architect. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ↑ Brocklehurst, Steven (6 February 2018). "Having a suffragette in the family". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ↑ "Speech in the Music Hall". Aberdeen Daily Journal. 20 December 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 18 April 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ Ferguson, Laura (7 February 2018). "Pioneering Aberdeen journalist put job on the line to spearhead suffrage movement in North-east – Evening Express". Evening Express. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- 1 2 "BBC Scotland – The brutal telegram revealing how the Pankhursts unceremoniously dismissed a loyal suffragette". BBC. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- 1 2 "Sarah Pedersen: A unique archive of suffragette correspondence in Scotland". Scottish History Network. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ↑ Pedersen, Sarah. "The Aberdeen Women's Suffrage Campaign". suffrageaberdeen.co.uk. WildFireOne. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ↑ "City of Aberdeen – Spanish Civil War". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
External links
[edit]57°8′42″N 2°6′18″W / 57.14500°N 2.10500°W
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|
 | This article related to Aberdeen, Scotland, is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
 | This article about a Scottish building or structure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
 | This British theatre–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- Commercial buildings completed in 1822
- Theatres in Aberdeen
- Category A listed buildings in Aberdeen
- Theatres completed in 1822
- Music venues completed in 1859
- 1859 establishments in the United Kingdom
- 1822 establishments in Scotland
- Archibald Simpson buildings
- Aberdeen stubs
- Scottish building and structure stubs
- British theatre stubs