Google search of the image tells me this appears to be Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego, 1929. What a beautiful space! Will you get to spend any time there during rehearsals to get some ideas about what's going to work really well?
Impressive, Mike. A crescendo from that many could pin you to the back wall.This is an amazing hall. It was built with a no expenses spared approach. The lines are late art-nouveau, and early art-deco, with lots of craftsman era accouterments. Just a gorgeous hall. And, acoustically, it seems quite superb.
One oddity about it:
It has had modern skyscrapers built around it. By the exterior surroundings; modern skyscraper in appearance. But once through the doors, you are drawn back to a whole different era.
The staff,....
I've never been made to feel more welcome. I was a bit nervous, as it is a union-shop hall. But this was to be anything but a problem.
I walked onto the stage as they were still setting it. I found a stage manager, who referred me to the house sound tech, and called him to the stage to meet me. He already knew my name, as I was listed as sound tech on the "list". He greeted me very warmly. I asked him about the house protocol for recordists, and he said I could do anything that I wanted. He also clued me into the fact that his house mics were adjusted to reach into mid open-airs hall space, which was a very short distance from the stage. He said that he'd bring me up and set me up in the *"owners" seats. (* the Jacobs family donated what was said to be $100m for the resotration and renovation of the hall, in faithful restoration).
The sound tech and I sat there for a good twenty minutes just talking geek tech talk. He then told the ushers to keep everyone back and away from the area (the balcony was used to seat the extra muscians that filled the ever growing orchestra).
After soundcheck/rehearsal, I started looking aorund the hall, and was greeted by an usher whao gave me a personal tour of the facility, and the low-down on its past history; Fox movie theater in the silent movie era, 1929. It has a quadrophonic pipe organ, with pipe arrays at the stage, and at left and right, rear of hall. This was an original installation.
As far as my experience... It was one of the best. I was treated so well, and the facility was beyond adequate description.
a couple more pics:
a giant center of ceiling lamp of copper and arts glass, and its comlimentary sibling
View attachment 952948
View attachment 952949
the center of the stage band shell opening is right here...................... ^^
Lobby lighting:
View attachment 952950
Stage right:
View attachment 952951
stage left:
View attachment 952952
This is an amazing hall. It was built with a no expenses spared approach. The lines are late art-nouveau, and early art-deco, with lots of craftsman era accouterments. Just a gorgeous hall. And, acoustically, it seems quite superb.
One oddity about it:
It has had modern skyscrapers built around it. By the exterior surroundings; modern skyscraper in appearance. But once through the doors, you are drawn back to a whole different era.
The staff,....
I've never been made to feel more welcome. I was a bit nervous, as it is a union-shop hall. But this was to be anything but a problem.
I walked onto the stage as they were still setting it. I found a stage manager, who referred me to the house sound tech, and called him to the stage to meet me. He already knew my name, as I was listed as sound tech on the "list". He greeted me very warmly. I asked him about the house protocol for recordists, and he said I could do anything that I wanted. He also clued me into the fact that his house mics were adjusted to reach into mid open-airs hall space, which was a very short distance from the stage. He said that he'd bring me up and set me up in the *"owners" seats. (* the Jacobs family donated what was said to be $100m for the resotration and renovation of the hall, in faithful restoration).
The sound tech and I sat there for a good twenty minutes just talking geek tech talk. He then told the ushers to keep everyone back and away from the area (the balcony was used to seat the extra muscians that filled the ever growing orchestra).
After soundcheck/rehearsal, I started looking aorund the hall, and was greeted by an usher whao gave me a personal tour of the facility, and the low-down on its past history; Fox movie theater in the silent movie era, 1929. It has a quadrophonic pipe organ, with pipe arrays at the stage, and at left and right, rear of hall. This was an original installation.
As far as my experience... It was one of the best. I was treated so well, and the facility was beyond adequate description.
a couple more pics:
a giant center of ceiling lamp of copper and arts glass, and its comlimentary sibling
View attachment 952948
View attachment 952949
the center of the stage band shell opening is right here...................... ^^
Lobby lighting:
View attachment 952950
Stage right:
View attachment 952951
stage left:
View attachment 952952
Sorry to keep dragging this quote to the top; but it works...
This is an amazing hall. It was built with a no expenses spared approach. The lines are late art-nouveau, and early art-deco, with lots of craftsman era accouterments. Just a gorgeous hall. And, acoustically, it seems quite superb.
One oddity about it:
It has had modern skyscrapers built around it. By the exterior surroundings; modern skyscraper in appearance. But once through the doors, you are drawn back to a whole different era.
The staff,....
I've never been made to feel more welcome. I was a bit nervous, as it is a union-shop hall. But this was to be anything but a problem.
I walked onto the stage as they were still setting it. I found a stage manager, who referred me to the house sound tech, and called him to the stage to meet me. He already knew my name, as I was listed as sound tech on the "list". He greeted me very warmly. I asked him about the house protocol for recordists, and he said I could do anything that I wanted. He also clued me into the fact that his house mics were adjusted to reach into mid open-aire hall space, which was a very short distance from the balcony, when he dropped them into position; at least the main ambient pair. He said that he'd bring me up and set me up in the *"owners" seats. (* the Jacobs family donated what was said to be $100m for the restoration and renovation of the hall, in faithful restoration).
The sound tech and I sat there for a good twenty minutes just talking geek tech talk. He then told the ushers to keep everyone back and away from the area (the balcony was used to seat the extra muscians that filled the ever growing orchestra).
After soundcheck/rehearsal, I started looking aorund the hall, and was greeted by an usher whao gave me a personal tour of the facility, and the low-down on its past history; Fox movie theater in the silent movie era, 1929. It has a quadrophonic pipe organ, with pipe arrays at the stage, and at left and right, rear of hall. This was an original installation.
As far as my experience... It was one of the best. I was treated so well, and the facility was beyond adequate description.
a couple more pics:
a giant center of ceiling lamp of copper and arts glass, and its comlimentary sibling
View attachment 952948
View attachment 952949
the center of the stage band shell opening is right here...................... ^^
Lobby lighting:
View attachment 952950
Stage right:
View attachment 952951
stage left:
View attachment 952952