Hallof Plenty

For many people, the Royal Albert Hall (RAH) is synonymous with the Last Night of the Proms. Just as the nation’s collective attention turns towards Wembley for the FA Cup final each May, the vast Victorian venue in South Kensington becomes the focus for one Saturday evening in September. The Hall, though, has served a far wider purpose than that since it opened on 29 March 1871, hosting a whole range of musical and non-musical events throughout the year. Some fondly refer to it as ‘the nation’s village hall,’ others the ‘Kensington O’. And thanks to the Beatles, a generation of music fans know how many holes it takes to fill it.

One name often forgotten in the history of the Hall is the architect Colonel Henry Darracott Scott (see p47). An officer in the Royal Engineers, Darracott Scott designed the rotunda as part of a day’s work in the 1860s, his only concern being to build big, to represent the Empire as the Colosseum did for Rome. He might have felt the criticism that the building’s acoustics constantly receive was a bit harsh – after all, boxing matches, political rallies,