I fell in love with this space the moment I walked into it. It is incredibly quiet, live, warm. Playing unaccompanied Bach on the violin, I could utilize the widest dynamic range that I had ever experienced. I could play as soflty as was able and still be heard, and then fill the entire hall with sound. Curtains can adjust the reverberation time of the hall from 1.6 seconds to 2.6 seconds (@ 500 Hz).

The architecture is stunning: lots of brick and wood. It is very high, with a forest of ducts, truss and sound reflectors overhead. The stage is simple, just a short step up from the audience. Spillman Farmer were the architects.

Attending the dedication concert for the hall on the 8th of January 2003, I received raves about the acoustics from both students and faculty. After the concert, people in the audience turned around to compliment me and Mike Black (the architect, who was sitting with me) about the acoustics.

Me? I loved it! Every instrument is enhanced its own way. There is a kalidoscopic aspect to the sound that emphasises the sense of sound in space. The chorus (conducted by Cyril Stretansky) completely surrounded me in sound. And--it's quiet. You can hear the performers breathe.

"Our 325 seat concert hall is a dream come true. It is acoustically and visually splendid. Performers and audience alike remark about it in superlatives." C.M. Stretansky Professor of Music Cyril M. Stretansky Distinguished Chair in Choral Music Director of Choral Activities