Letter: South Bank: centre of a new arts quarter for London
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Robert Maxwell's authoritative analysis of the South Bank development scheme may come in time to stop the Arts Council authorising expenditure of lottery funds on a project which is not justified on artistic grounds.
Since it was first constructed, the Royal Festival Hall has had acoustic problems which are insuperable. There is no way, short of a major remodelling, in which changes would allow the five London orchestras to give of their best. They cannot hear each other; they cannot produce singing tone which allows the music to "float"; the sound can never be dense, and therefore always lacks thrill.
Certain frequencies are absorbed by the air when they travel more than fifteen metres; we cannot build on our own sound unless we are surrounded by hard surfaces. The hall is too wide for top-quality sound.
There is no case to spend many millions on a building, when London will still be without a hall which allows its fine orchestras to perform as well as they can in Vienna, Boston or Amsterdam.
DENIS VAUGHAN
Denis Vaughan Acoustical Consultancy
London WC2
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments