Albert Hall, Nottingham

The Albert Hall in Nottingham is a former Methodist Mission, now used as a conference centre and concert hall.

History

The Albert Hall was started in 1873 as a Nottingham Temperance Hall. Watson Fothergill, a local architect won the commission. On completion the building cost around £15,000. It was the largest concert hall in Nottingham and a major venue for political rallies but it had frequent financial crises. It was put on the market in 1901 and was bought by a syndicate of local businessmen for £8,450, opening as a Wesleyan Methodist mission in September 1902.

Although the outstanding debt was a millstone, the work of the mission went from strength to strength until 22nd April 1906 when fire swept through the building. The Methodists then realised that the Hall was under-insured. This time, a prominent local Methodist, Albert Edward Lambert, who had been responsible for Nottingham Midland Station was asked to produce a plan. His new Albert Hall Methodist Mission was built in the style of an Edwardian Music Hall with a terracotta façade.

The new hall was dedicated in March 1909 and officially opened on the 15 September 1910 by Lady Boot.

The Annual Conference of the Labour Party was held in the Albert Hall, Nottingham, on 23 January 1918

Current use

The Albert Hall is currently used as a concert hall and conference centre. There are 2 large conference suites and a further 9 meeting rooms of varying sizes.

Organ

The organ was built in the Albert Hall Methodist Mission by J.J. Binns in 1909. It cost £4,500 and was a gift to the City of Nottingham by Jesse Boot, 1st Baron Trent to be known as the City Organ. The Italian and Spanish walnut casework was made in the Boots shopfitting workshop in Nottingham and the carving executed by Fitchett & Woollacott.

A full restoration of the organ by Harrison & Harrison was completed in 1993. The restoration was inspired and financed by the "Binns Organ Company", a local group formed for that purpose.

The organ has been awarded a Grade 1 listing by the British Institute of Organ Studies. The Grade 1 listing is for an organ of outstanding historic and musical importance in essentially original condition.

[http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N01509 A link to the organ specification on the National Pipe Organ Register]

References

*Allens Illustrated Guide to Nottingham, 1886.

Links

* [http://www.alberthallnottingham.co.uk/ Albert Hall Conference Centre and Concert Hall]
* [http://www.binns.info/ Binns Organ guide]