Another project, another interesting venue to perform in!
Some of the older buildings in the Group of Eight universities (the "top-tier" Australian universities) are pretty damn impressive. Many of these universities have a long (for Australia...) heritage.... and many "important" people have studied or taught there... so, there is a good chunk of money coming in from donors and the like...
Many of the older building are modelled a bit after their counterparts in the United Kingdom... so, think of the buildings that you would imagine to see in Oxford, Cambridge, and Hogwarts. Large, austere, sandstone blocks... with a quiet serenity and a imposing sense of seriousness.
This particular photo was taken from the back end of the Great Hall... it had better lighting when I arrived for my rehearsal. The lawns are kept neatly manicured, and you are forbidden to walk on them or enjoy them in anyway!
The front side is equally impressive... but the afternoon lighting made it look a touch more evil!
The Great Hall is actually just a single wing of that huge building! The inside reminds me a touch of a large cathedral, with the stone walls and high wooden arches... the only different seeming to be the use of chairs instead of pews!
So, this is the "founder" of the University... William Wentworth established the university in 1849 as the leader of the legislative council of New South Wales in the days of the colonial era. This was prior to the Federation and creation of Australia in 1900.... New South Wales was the "original" and the largest colonial outpost on the mainland.
A lovely organ flanked by impressive stained glass windows at the rear of the hall (not... church...!). Sadly, we didn't use these impressive beast... it would have been interesting to hear it in the booming acoustic of hard straight stone walls!
... and speaking of acoustic, it was a lovely place to play in! The sound wasn't at all washy like I was expecting... well, at least on stage... but I have no idea what it sounded like in the audience!
... and like a regular cathedral, you have the stained glass and the artworks that adorn the windows and walls. Only, instead of a religious motif... you have many academic ones! If you look closely at the roof beams, you will see that they are adorned with open books!