| Main Performers | Sir Henry Cole,
Colonel Henry Young Darracott Scott RE,
Thomas Lucas (Lucas Brothers building contractors) - speakers
Miss Anna Williams,
Frederick Brittan - vocals,
Thomas Healey - violin |
| Set List | Arrival of HM Queen Victoria and Royal Party,
Vocal performance (Frederick Brittan),
Violin performance - set of scales (Thomas Healey),
Vocal performance (Miss Anna Williams),
Tour of Galleries (Sir Henry Cole, Colonel Scott, Thomas Lucas),
Departure of HM Queen Victoria and Royal Party |
| Performance Notes | Work on the Hall's construction had advanced to the extent that it was deemed desirable to invite Queen Victoria to inspect the project as it neared completion. Accompanied by Princess Beatrice, but without General Grey, who had died the previous March, the Queen visited the site. The Queen seemed well pleased with her visit and verbally remarked that it, 'Looks like the British Constitution'. For the first time she sat in the Royal Box and even visited the Gallery; from both points she was able to try out the acoustics because Henry Cole had arranged for a Mr Thomas Healey to play the violin and a Miss Williams and a Mr Britten to sing a few songs to demonstrate the Hall's sound qualities.
"Dull and very cold - Shortly before 10, left for London with Beatrice [Princess Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenburg], the Duchess of Roxburghe and the 2 Equerries and drove straight to the Albert Hall, where we got out. It is greatly improved in appearance since it is nearly finished, and the frieze and work outside is very handsome. The inside of the building (the structural part) is finished, the decorations having only just been started and there is much scaffolding still up. A lady sang and violinist played, to test the effect of sound, which was extremely good. We walked a little way round the Galleries and upstairs. It certainly is a splendid building and I hope and trust may pay. How much it made me think of good General Grey, whose whole heart was in it, and who always feared he would not live to see the building completed. The [Albert] Memorial looks beautiful without the scaffolding. From here we drove to Argyll Lodge."
(Queen Victoria's Diary, Vol.57, pg.130, 3 December 1870)
Frederick Brittan was one of the boys employed by the building contractors. (The Daily Telegraph, 5 December 1870) |
| Related Archival Material | Painting of Thomas Healey (RAH/5/1/6) |