Wales's Principal Concert Venue to Close?

[Simon B]

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but...

If this news story http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wa...threat-6650941 is taken on face value, it appears that there's a real prospect of St David's Hall in Cardiff being closed down by the council as part of their attempts to cut expenditure.

The proposal seems to be to move "shows" (presumably including what remains of concerts) to the Millennium Centre. The stage there is big enough to take an orchestra, though sightlines are not such that much of it can be seen, and the acoustic with an orchestra on stage rather than in the pit is pretty horrible for both performers and audience.

The Millennium Centre is acoustically striking, therefore more of an "attraction" than the concrete neo-brutalist St David's Hall. It also has the advantage (in the politicos eyes) of being next to the lavish and shiny ego-palace the (Dis)Assembly Members built themselves in the Bay. Also, for any locals, the words "Russell Goodway" (former... controversial... Lord Mayor among other things) in any news story should automatically induce a sinking feeling...

[Gordon]

Crumbs!! The licensed victuallers in the city won't be pleased!! I was in there a couple of months ago and it was humming - with people I mean! Will people be happy trapesing all the way out to the new place? I suppose it's not that far out of town but from the station to the bay the walk isn't all that salubrious in places. Perhaps a developer has his eye on the site for another shopping mall!

[Richard Tarleton]

Crumbs!! The licensed victuallers in the city won't be pleased!! I was in there a couple of months ago and it was humming - with people I mean! Will people be happy trapesing all the way out to the new place? I suppose it's not that far out of town but from the station to the bay the walk isn't all that salubrious in places. Perhaps a developer has his eye on the site for another shopping mall!

Indeed. If you live west of Cardiff (a constituency largely ignored in planning for the armadillo) you don't go near the city if going to Cardiff Bay. Restaurants in and around The Hayes (where St David's Hall is situated) have proliferated alongside the long-established Giovanni's - whose walls are adorned with the signed photos of stars who have appeared in one and eaten in the other. There is no public transport to Cardiff Bay from the west, inadequate parking, not enough places to eat in the evening (catering in the bay area is predicated around diurnal politicians and media types). This would be a disaster for concerts. We're booked for 3 more this season - perhaps Bruckner 8 in April will be the last.

[MrGongGong]

That would be a real shame.
I, like many musicians have an affection for the place
in spite of it being the hardest stage door to get into !
and the Spinal Tap moments that many of us have had whilst trying to find the stage

We also did a great dispersed orchestra thing there once (with the Philharmonia) with 150 teenage musicians all over the foyer spaces etc ...... great fun and then we all went to hear the orchestra play Shostakovitch 5

[teamsaint]

I've been looking for a good opportunity to visit the Hall for a while.

The Hayes is place I enjoy visiting, think I better get looking for a gig, while i can


Bloody vandals. The Millennium centre is in a pretty poor location, the sort beloved of politicians who like nice "clean" solutions, and wads of developers cash.
If any councillor is reading this, I would not be tempted to visit the Millennium centre AT ALL !!

[Honoured Guest]

The BBC News story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-s...wales-25973555 gives more detail, and also links to the Cardiff Council Budget Saving Proposals. Both St David's Hall and New Theatre are owned, funded and managed by Cardiff Council and the main relevant proposal (part of SLC 46) is to achieve savings through a "new management operator being secured for either St David's Hall or New Theatre, or both". However, the council's cabinet member for finance is less optimistic about such an operator being found for St David's Hall, and so the council is also (outside the actual Budget Saving Proposal) talking to Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) about the possibility of transferring some "shows" there. The salient point here is that WMC isn't a Cardiff Council venue, so this option has nothing to do with acoustics, sightlines, architectural style, proximity to the Wales Assembly chamber, the business of city centre "victuallers", the walking environment from Cardiff Central Station to the Bay, the business of city centre restauranteurs, public transport to the west, parking facilities, the number of Bay eateries, stage door access or backstage signage, although these are of course all equally fascinating topics for fierce discussion!

It would be interesting to hear from local residents in other UK council areas where a Council-run concert hall may have already gone through a similar budget saving experience.

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks for this HG, your insights appreciated as ever. It's all to obvious that the needs of concert goers have nothing whatsoever to do with the proposal any more than they did with the creation of the Millennium Centre in the howling wilderness of Cardiff Bay, I was merely taking the broad view and reflecting on how it would affect me. Badly, it seems.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This is shocking.

Next they'll be closing the RAH, RFH and Barbican and using the O2 Arena instead.

[Simon B]

NB the caveat "If this news story http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wa...threat-6650941 is taken on face value" - experience suggests it is unsafe to do so. However, the bald statement in the, er, hi-tech slideshow thing to be found at that URL ("St David's Hall Will close unless it can be taken over by a third party") is very clear. If not necessarily correct.

At the very least, the "acoustics, sightlines... public transport... parking facilities" are entirely salient to the consequences of any decision along these lines.

Goodway is quoted as saying "We are also talking to the Wales Millennium Centre about the possibility of taking on the shows currently put on in St David’s Hall." - my emphasis.

As is often the way, detailed scrutiny of what the council has put out (SLC 1, 2, 3 and 46) shows it to seem inconsistent with initial reporting. For a start, unless I'm being particularly thick today, the SLC46 proposal "only" appears to be aiming to save £530k out of the £2M figure the BBC give for the total cost to the council of St David's and the New Theatre.

About as clear as mud, as usual. It's understandable that the council has to do something. There's a hole in the budget so mahoosive you could easily get the remuneration Goodway obtained during his time as Britain's most highly paid council leader (with sundry associated controversies, questions in parliament etc) into it .

[Honoured Guest]

This is shocking.

Next they'll be closing the RAH, RFH and Barbican and using the O2 Arena instead.

"Southbank Centre was built in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain and the concert halls were originally funded and managed by the London County Council and their successors, the Greater London Council. The Centre became an independent arts organisation in April 1988 after two years operating as a constituent part of the Arts Council."

So, funding and management of the Royal Festival Hall was transferred from its local council twenty eight years ago! In Cardiff, the WMC was set up as, and remains, an independent arts organisation (like Southbank Centre now) and it's been "bailed out / financially rescued" by first Wales Assembly Government and now Arts Council Wales. Perhaps WAG or ACW will end up "saving" St David's Hall if a new independent management operator cannot be found for it. I'm sure that everyone understands that the local government Councils cannot be blamed: in a nutshell, their income is being slashed so as to fund little more than their statutory reponsibilities, which means that their discretionary activities are all under massive threat.

[edashtav]

If true, this is appalling news for music in Wales.

[jean]

Next they'll be closing the RAH, RFH and Barbican and using the O2 Arena instead.

No they won't, because they're in London.

[Ian]

Messaging as a local, my gut feeling this isn’t going to happen. In any case, based on the figure given, the shortfall could be covered by adding an extra £1 pound on each ticket sold. Not that unreasonable.

[amateur51]

If true, this is appalling news for music in Wales.

If I may, for music in South Wales

There's still the William Aston Hall in Wrecsam

[Gordon]

If I may, for music in South Wales

There's still the William Aston Hall in Wrecsam

Now, now, Ams let's not get parochial!! Colled y De yw buddugoliaeth y Gogledd!!!