“Proposals for a new world-class concert hall in London appear to be back on track after the City of London Corporation agreed to replace money withdrawn by the government,” writes Mark Brown in Thursday’s (1/12) Guardian (London, U.K.). “The scheme, costed at £278m, appeared derailed in November when the government unexpectedly announced it was withdrawing money it had pledged for a detailed business case to be made. On Thursday the City said it would provide the money, up to £2.5m, needed to complete it. The new building would be erected on a site next to the Barbican currently occupied by the Museum of London, which is moving.… The hall would become the new home of the London Symphony Orchestra…. The hall’s supporters say London desperately needs a new concert hall.… It would also be more than a concert hall. Called the Centre for Music, it would have an ambitious educational dimension ‘to bring music-making to the widest possible audience.’ …. The City decision is a sign that the hall’s supporters believe it can be built, even without government money.” The project’s leading partners are the Barbican Centre, London Symphony Orchestra, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Posted January 17, 2017
