City Halls
I enjoyed a magical night of music in Glasgow last night, attending the formal re-opening of the City Halls in Candleriggs. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Scottish Symphony Orchestra performed a range of music, chosen to demonstrate the fabulous acoustics of the refurbished auditorium, which is the SSO's new home. The musicians, conducted by Ilan Volkov, got a tremendous reaction from the audience and it was good to be there on such an historic evening.
Before the concert there were some drinks and speeches and it looked like the whole of Glasgow society was there. It was a real crush in the foyer and everytime I turned around I saw a familiar face.
Among them was Jeremy Peat, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's National Governor for Scotland who told me he had temporarliy mis-placed his wife somwehere in the crowd. He also asked me how about this diary. So, word must be spreading!
The venue is really impressive. You could imagine you were in Vienna. I can remember the City Halls when it was dusty, draughty and the place where trade unions had afternoon conferences. It has a fantastic history, however, and we were told that Charles Dickens had once given one of his famous public readings from the stage.
I also sneaked a peek at the refurbished Fruit Market venue, which now connects to the City Halls and has a fun and earthy atmosphere. 
