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Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 3 May 1951
FLEET STREET, THURSDAY
To-night in the presence of the King and Queen and their daughters, the Royal Festival Hall, which stands amid the South Bank Exhibition was dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury. First the King had formally opened the hall by unveiling a tablet in the wall of the main staircase to commemorate the occasion.
An audience of distinguished people had been invited and an hour before the opening the great foyers, promenade, and staircases were crowded with men and women in evening dress. Perhaps because of the religious nature of to-night's ceremony the women were wearing their quieter and less elaborate gowns.
Perhaps not even the designers would claim the exterior of the Festival Hall is specially beautiful; but the interior has a grace and dignity to which no drawing or photograph does justice.
The audience entered the hall in a ceremonial manner, walking along a covered way which was carpeted with red fibre matting – suitable enough substitute for carpet in these hard days. The crowds, of course, had gathered and were densely packed on Waterloo Bridge and the other entrances. Many waited to catch another glimpse of the Royal Family and of the notables among the guests.
When the audience was seated the platform began to fill up. Ten choirs were represented, including the boys from Westminster, St Paul's and the Chapel Royal. The instrumentalists came from five London orchestras. Soon the platform presented the most attractive picture one remembers having seen in a concert hall. Under the great baffle boards – beautiful in themselves – were splashes of black and white made up of the gowns, surplices, dress coats, and shirt fronts of choristers and instrumentalists.
The entrance of the Royal Family was preceded by a fanfare of the state trumpeters, who had marched in at the top of the platform to fill the one blank space in the picture. Whether it is good or bad acoustics one must leave to the experts to judge, but the fanfare had far more "edge" to it than usual.
The Queen, in a crinolene frock over which she wore the blue sash of the Garter, acknowledged the cheers and the King bowed. By their side were their daughters and the Duke of Edinburgh. In those other remarkable flying boxes – white and black like the keys of a piano – one could see the Prime Minister and Mrs Attlee with the Lord Chancellor; Mrs Churchill, Mr Eden and Mr Clement Davies; and high up at the front Mr Herbert Morrison. It is indeed a proud day for him.
