Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-10-30
NUMBER AZ.
Public Halls.


Or, Holland nakes the following guggestons in
an article on "Pnblic HaHs,h NJ ScHBNkki
In yiew of the lac that certain PEI
centsge of Tie great nHnbe OF p1blic
halls that have been built have iuperiect
acoustic qualities, aud the iuihat es
that new halls are being pa up 10 w.
ious parts OF the country every Yesr s.
wonld So, m desirable that soas olo. ~ %
has had a good deal of experience WITH
halls should tell what he has learned
ABOUT chem. The writer Of this bas
PROBABLY spoken in five hundred different
auaience-rooms, and be has never spoken
in one that had en- echo, or wss difficult
10 speak in, which was am pbiIheGlrieal
| in form, or semicEcular in finish. Tho
/ hard hsls, the echoing halls, the hals
with .bad places" 10 them, are alwars
rectangular, SO far AS be has observed.
A roctspgua- ball may be absolutely
perfect, s5 the old Coriuthieu H=.l IN
r ,chester is remembered to have been,
bu. there seems to be law Of prnpo,-
tisn relating 20 rectangular halls which
il not ndsIstood by builders. There
m.y &c Dsi balls with the -emicircuiar
Gpi'h opposite to lhe stage or r-s.rum.
/ ia. We nave uev1r seen one.
4 grea. many buudcrs 4re made ia
| lighting halls. Especially is .hi ,he case
vi aoo tho stage Of The ,.9l.cg Is made 10
ryo as the ros.rum Ct the lecturer. No
audience can 81. comfortably aud look ST
Hgh.. Yeta lecturers face sioU j o.
ays be vel ligh.ol, aud no Lecturer
can bear fCo.-.ish.s blazing between Lin
aad his audience. A light 90 Lis stand
/ Is in his way, aad IL .6e esY OF ,he audi
elca. The lighting should always bo
/ f-om above and fSon The side. i ce1.rl
chandelier above, and Just in lrol. Of the
5 se, AID bracket OF light q. cItb,.
vi-g, will light lecturer's face sufio.-
el.y. AID il he reads, bis manuscript.
/ A hooded light, exactly in fcou. J- lis
manuscript, not more than dge inches
high, which neither he nor his autierc4
oln see, will DO good service wLen Other
/ favorable conditions and provisions ore
wanting. The more diffused ieht thero
is in a hall the better. The angel G.b-
riel could not speak Effectively whore he
could neither s. his audience nor ts dis
tinctly seen 10y it. Light seems 70 bs tao
medium OF communication ol II gnctism
AID sympathy between the entertainer
and the entertained. 90 mach vAcart
space should never be behind q spessor
A msn is often heard very easily in front
OF the curtain, who finds it difficult to fIl
the hall when the curtain is up and Tie
sage open fifteen or twenty feet te-
hind him
There were formerly halls which lad
the ros,rum between the two doors Of
entrance. This mistake, for various --a-
sons, is sometimes made % hi day; but
II is fatal one. No man should enter
hall in the faces ol an audience, espec-
idly in place where preserved seats
are sold; for OF al the uumi.ga,ed ru-
isauces in society, he is tie worst who
faucies that he buys, with a reserved
>est, the rieht 70 enter lnd disturb an
audience al any time in The evening
All noise 81, or near, the door OF enter
auce should be as far as possible rom the
speaker. l5e singer, and the actor. And
IS we have introduced the matter ot re-
served seats, ve may as wei 60 iar'hcr
aid say TIA, % reserved seat should
ever be sold thst carries any right beyond
the minute when perlornsrce Is an
nounced to begin. The difficulties OF
bs srng in a hall grow more on. Of the
disturbances made BY late msrs than
from acoustic defects in the ha Of audi
erce.