The Evening Standard 4 May 2001

The Royal Fireworks Hall

by Robin Stringer, Arts Correspondent

There were fireworks inside as well as outside the Royal Festival Hall last night as the sole remaining building from the Festival of Britain celebrated its 50th birthday with verve. Inside the hall, the colours, the brilliance and the explosiveness came from the Philharmonia under the inspirational Russian conductor Valery Gergiev and magnetic soloists such as Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu.

Their dynamism whether in Beethoven or Verdi was infectious, and the packed hall was soon resounding to cheers and bravos, and even applause in mid-aria, such was the enthusiasm.

The fabric of the hall is long overdue for refurbishment but it seemed to relish the excitement and unflinchingly withstood the savage brass onslaught of the opening fanfare, specially commissioned from Sir Harrison Birtwistle. Enjoying the occasion and the building as much as anyone was the Prince of Wales, who had a special interest in proceedings as patron of the Philharmonia. He was in mischievous mood.

"It's a wonderful example of Fifties architecture - too much glass" (uttered in the form of a theatrical aside) "and I am thrilled with my orchestra of which I am very proud," he said. He was so delighted by the concert that when he met the artists backstage after the concert he informed Miss Gheorghiu that he had been hoping for an encore, but one never came. "Would you like one now?" she riposted.

He also spoke to other soloists, tenor Marcello Giordano, baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky and pianist Murray Perahia. Guests

who had paid between ?20 and ?400 to attend the concert - ?400 included dinner with the artists afterwards - reminisced about their own experiences of the hall.

Peter Mandelson was there in his capacity as his "grandfather's grandson," his grandfather being chief promoter of the Festival of Britain Sir Herbert Morrison, and remembered his first visit to the hall to see The Nutcracker when "a very small boy in the Sixties."

Lord Heath conducted there, Royal Ballet star Deborah Bull danced there in an educational programme as a young professional and many concertgoers remembered their first experience at the Robert Mayer children's concerts.

The underlying purpose of the evening was to launch the fundraising campaign to renovate the hall. Some ?30 million is needed towards the total cost of around ?60 million.

It was a "ludicrously" large sum to raise, as gala chairman Joanna Lumley observed. But with guests including Lord Rothschild and Carlton chairman Michael Green around, it suddenly seemed attainable. Elliott Bernerd, chairman of the South Bank Board, who was making his first public appearance for six months after successful treatment for cancer of the jaw, was confident. "With our friends' help, we will make this happen," he said.

Nor can one ignore the influence in high places of Miss Lumley. She informed her audience of the real reason why both the Tube strike and the General Election were postponed.

"Just a little word in the right ear to give the Royal Festival Hall concert a clear run," she said.

Then she touched the rail on the conductor's platform. "Happy Birthday Festival Hall," she said. "We love you very much. We are very proud of you".