Birmingham Town Hall

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The Town Hall emerging after years of refurbishment

A view of the town hall (on the right) from an 1886 drawing

This article is about Birmingham Town Hall, a concert venue. For the seat of Birmingham City Council, see Council House, Birmingham

Birmingham Town Hall (grid reference SP066868) is a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England.

It was created as a home for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival (established 1784), whose purpose was to raise funds for the General Hospital, after St Philip's Church (later to become a Cathedral) became too small to hold the festival, and for public meetings. The hall was designed by Joseph Hansom, of Hansom cab fame, and Edward Welch. Construction began in 1832. However, Hansom went bankrupt during construction, having tendered too low. However, despite this major setback, the building was successfully opened for the delayed Music Festival of 1834. Hill of London was hired to build the 6,000 pipe organ for £6,000. It was extended in 1837 and again in 1850 by architect Charles Edge.

Built with Anglesey Marble presented to the town by Sir R. Bulkeley, proprietor of the Penmon quarries, the hall is modelled on the temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome. Some limestone was used in its construction and fossils of plants and animals are visible.

Charles Dickens gave public readings here to raise money for the Birmingham and Midland Institute, and Mendelssohn's Elijah and Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius were both premiered. Sir Arthur Sullivan's "Overture di Ballo" was also premiered here in August 1870, as part of the Triennial Musical Festival which commissioned new works for every season. The hall was the home venue for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1918 until 1991 when they moved to Symphony Hall.

Popular music has also featured, and in the 1960s and 70s, headline acts such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan appeared.

On August 9, 1902, the town hall, along with the council house, was illuminated in celebration of the coronation of King Edward VII. It was illuminated again on June 22, 1911 for the coronation of King George V.

It was also the scene of rioting on the occasion of a visit by Lloyd George in 1901.

It featured prominently in the 1967 Peter Watkins film Privilege and doubled for the Albert Hall in 1996's Brassed Off.

The Town Hall in 1937 decorated for the Coronation of George VI

In 1937, as part of the celebrations for the Coronation of George VI, the Town Hall was regaled in the various Arms of the Lord of the Manor of Birmingham since 1166 and each column festooned with garlands. The pediment also had images of Britannia, supported by mermaids, which were sculpted by William Bloye. This decorative scheme for the Town Hall and the whole of the city was devised by William Haywood, Secretary of The Birmingham Civic Society.

The Hall closed in 1996 for a £31 million refurbishment that will see the Town Hall brought back to its original glory with its 6,000-pipe organ still in place. The town hall's organist performed a piece of music to a group of school children in 2005 after the majority of the organ had been cleaned. However, the organist and the children all had to wear hard hats as the risk of falling debris remained. It is due to re-open on 4 October 2007, managed by the trustees of the Symphony Hall, and will offer concerts again.

A Big Screen stands next to the rear of the building, facing into Chamberlain Square.

[edit] Sources

All About Victoria Square, Joe Holyoak, The Victorian Society Birmingham Group, ISBN 0-901657-14-X
Pevsner Architectural Guides - Birmingham, Andy Foster, 2005, ISBN 0-300-10731-5