The interior of the Concert Room when it was Dr Bell’s School 1844 - 800 students
St Cecilia's Hall History
Originally built in 1763 and named after the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia’s Hall is the oldest purpose-built concert hall in Scotland, and the second oldest in the British Isles. At the heart of this Georgian building is its concert room, surrounded by three galleries which house one of the world's most important collections of historic musical instruments, many of which are still playable in a concert setting. Yet time, architectural intervention and urban development have hidden away this exceptional Georgian treasure and the rare collections it contains. The University’s vision is to restore and renovate the building and its facilities in order to preserve the Collection and broaden its appeal to a wider public.
The restoration and renovation of St Cecilia’s Hall has enabled us to offer increased performances, longer opening hours to the museum and provided new ways to experience its world class collection of instruments. It is intended to further scholarship and research and ensure the future of this outstanding building and its Collection for generations to come.
The St. Cecilia’s Redevelopment Project, completed Spring 2017, achieved five objectives :-
• Restored the original historic frontage of the building creating a new entrance facing the Royal Mile
• Upgraded the building infrastructure and the public realm around Niddry Street
• Improved the Concert Hall and audience experience
• Expanded, redesigned and developed the gallery spaces and interpretation
• Assured preservation of the Collection for generations to come
Use below links to find out more :-
About The Museum – St Cecilia's Hall (ed.ac.uk)
http://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/
See below link to a 'start to finish' restoration video.
https://vimeo.com/216493988
Originally built in 1763 and named after the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia’s Hall is the oldest purpose-built concert hall in Scotland, and the second oldest in the British Isles. At the heart of this Georgian building is its concert room, surrounded by three galleries which house one of the world's most important collections of historic musical instruments, many of which are still playable in a concert setting. Yet time, architectural intervention and urban development have hidden away this exceptional Georgian treasure and the rare collections it contains. The University’s vision is to restore and renovate the building and its facilities in order to preserve the Collection and broaden its appeal to a wider public.
The restoration and renovation of St Cecilia’s Hall has enabled us to offer increased performances, longer opening hours to the museum and provided new ways to experience its world class collection of instruments. It is intended to further scholarship and research and ensure the future of this outstanding building and its Collection for generations to come.
The St. Cecilia’s Redevelopment Project, completed Spring 2017, achieved five objectives :-
• Restored the original historic frontage of the building creating a new entrance facing the Royal Mile
• Upgraded the building infrastructure and the public realm around Niddry Street
• Improved the Concert Hall and audience experience
• Expanded, redesigned and developed the gallery spaces and interpretation
• Assured preservation of the Collection for generations to come
Use below links to find out more :-
About The Museum – St Cecilia's Hall (ed.ac.uk)
http://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/
See below link to a 'start to finish' restoration video.
https://vimeo.com/216493988
A few photos of the Friend's visit to see progress of restoration work on the Hall on 6th June. Work completed Spring 2017.
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Artists Impressions before restoration - Click on pictures to enlarge
