Gifted

The Usher Hall, Edinburgh sits on Lothian Road. As I stood waiting outside the Hall waiting for the bus this evening, I couldn’t help but imagine the generations of people who have visited the Hall, for so many different occasions, and with a sense of excitement and anticipation.

The Hall was opened in 1914, having been funded by a donation of £100, 000 to Edinburgh City Council from Andrew Usher, who requested the donation be used for the building of a City Hall. Today the Usher Hall hosts musical concerts, many of them classical. It contains an organ (installed in 1913) and three Steinway Concert Grand Pianos. In the past it has been the venue for many a notable event including in 1914 when Prime Minister Asquith gave a speech in the Hall entitled ‘The War’ and in 1986 when the Commonwealth Games came to Edinburgh it was the venue for the Boxing Tournament. Apparently the basement rooms were equipped for use as an air raid shelter during the Second World War (although there are no records of it being used in this way).

In the future, I will admire The Hall with renewed insight and with thanks for the man who funded it.