Opened in 2015, the Bradshaw Hall was carefully designed with acoustics in mind in order to cultivate the best auditory experience from every seat. Stepping foot inside the hall, my initial appreciation fell on the hall’s careful design: rows of mauve-padded seats, the radiating warmth of its woody interior, soft performance lighting, and walls decorated with geometric-shaped panels. This combination of attributes gave rise to an ambiance that was comfortably minimal but had all the allure of an esteemed performance space.

At first glance, the Bradshaw Hall is stunning. That being said, there is more appeal to its design than aesthetics alone. Covered in treble and bass-absorbing panels, the hall’s design serves to dampen different frequencies to make the sound more pleasant to the performer and listener. To the front of the hall is a raised platform stage with three retractable risers and a stage extension, home to many symphony orchestra performances over the years. Here, high ceilings provide plenty of space for increased reverberation, providing the audience with a rich soundscape.

The Coull Quartet and RBC students in the Bradshaw Hall

The Lab at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

After the lecture, we went into different spaces to explore how room acoustics affect the quality of sound from different instruments. My group started in the Bradshaw Hall, where we were given the opportunity to move around the space to explore the room’s acoustics. It was interesting to hear how the hall’s design meant that distance did not compromise the quality of sound. Even when standing on the balcony at the far end of the hall, I could hear the harpist's dreamy chords as though I were sitting right in front of her. This contrasted greatly with how the music sounded when played in the Lab. The Lab is a cutting-edge black box studio where theatre productions and art performances typically take place. As the saxophonist performed, I noticed the sound appeared quite dry in comparison to the other rooms, likely down to the room's fixed acoustics and low reverberation time.

We continued to work our way through different rooms in the Conservatoire and stopped by the Organ Studio - an airy venue flooded with natural light. Here, I found sounds were a lot brighter and clearer in tone and quality, as embodied by the sharp high notes of the violin filling the room.

Our trip to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire was an immersive experience. We came to understand the historical and cultural importance of music performance venues, while gaining a deeper recognition of acoustic considerations in architecture. At the end of our visit, we were serenaded out by a string octet and, while sitting in the Bradshaw Hall to listen to the final piece, I felt an increased appreciation of much thought had gone into ensuring the best auditory experience.

The Organ Studio at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire