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Brangwyn Hall, Swansea - Home of the Empire Panels |
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Brangwyn Hall - Concert Hall
On the 23rd October 1934, the Guildhall was opened by HRH the Duke of Kent. The inaugural concert which took place in the Brangwyn Hall that evening was performed by Swansea and District Royal Male Choir, and from that time until the completion of St David's Hall in Cardiff, the Hall remained the only large, purpose-built concert hall in Wales.
This first concert provoked the comment from 'Onlooker' who wrote a weekly column in the Herald of Wales, that '…the Brangwyn Hall made a magnificent setting. It makes one wonder whether it will be possible to revive the great Swansea tradition as the musical centre of South Wales. There may be something to be said for the use of the hall on social occasions, but the real alliance of the gorgeous panels is with the sister art of music.'
Brangwyn Hall can seat over 1,300, and was conceived as an assembly and concert hall. The stage was designed to take the largest symphony orchestras, backed by an organ behind an elaborate metal grill, with rising steps at the rear to accommodate choirs.
The acoustics of the hall have been praised for providing an exceptional sound for sound for recitals, orchestral pieces and chamber music alike. Many orchestras and soloists choose to record in the Hall rather than alternative venues in London or the rest of the UK. In 1936, Sir Thomas Beecham described it early on in its history as being one of the finest concert halls in Europe, when he played there with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
More recently, singer Charlotte Church, made one of her first recordings in the Hall, and the 成人论坛 National Orchestra of Wales, who regularly perform and record concerts there for 成人论坛 Radio 3.
Take a look at the Guildhall and Brangwyn Hall in this clip from the 成人论坛 Wales programme, First Resort - click here .
Brangwyn Hall Today
The Brangwyn Hall has functioned as the focal point of local government and justice. It is the fount of civic ceremony and is one of the principal centres of social and cultural life in Swansea. Although the Empire may have been fading as Brangwyn finished the last of the series, the panels serve as testament to the creative vision of the artist, but also to the Council, for providing a purpose-built municipal environment where this artistic achievement could be enjoyed by the public on a daily basis.
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