concertgoers from the sun, but the problem was not solved: it used to be
jokingly said that the Hall was "the only place where a British composer
could be sure of hearing his work twice".
Initially lit by gas, the Hall contained a special system where its thousands of
gas jets were lit within ten seconds. Though it was demonstrated as early as
1873 in the Hall,
[6]
full electric lighting was not installed until 1888.
During
an early trial when a partial installation was made, one disgruntled patron
wrote to
The Times
newspaper declaring it to be "a very ghastly and
unpleasant innovation".
In 1936, the Hall was the scene of a giant rally celebrating the British
Empire, the occasion being the centenary of Joseph Chamberlain's birth. In
October 1942, the Hall suffered minor damage during World War II bombing
but was left mostly untouched as German pilots used the distinctive structure
as a landmark.
In 1949 the canvas awning was removed and replaced with fluted
aluminium panels below the glass roof, in a new attempt to solve the echo;
but the acoustics were not properly tackled until 1969 when a series of large
fibreglass acoustic diffusing discs (commonly referred to as "mushrooms" or
"flying saucers") was installed below the ceiling.
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