De Montfort Hall sits alongside Victoria Park in Leicester, occupying a prominent place in the city’s cultural life as its largest music and performance venue. The hall takes its name from Simon de Montfort, the 6th Earl of Leicester, widely regarded as the Father of Parliament. Built by the Corporation of Leicester at a cost of £21,000, it opened to the public on 21 July 1913. The architect was Shirley Harrison (1876-1961), who also designed the Usher Hall in Edinburgh and was the son of Stockdale Harrison, architect of Vaughan College.
The Building and Its Organ
The indoor auditorium seats approximately 2,000 people. Among the hall’s most significant features is its pipe organ, installed in 1914 and believed to be the only surviving example of a large concert organ built by Leicester organ builders Stephen Taylor and Son Ltd. The instrument comprises around 6,000 pipes and was estimated to be worth over five million pounds in 2014. Its quality has attracted many distinguished organists over the decades. De Montfort Hall also appeared in Richard Attenborough’s 1999 film Grey Owl, in a scene recreating Attenborough and his brother David’s childhood attendance at a wildlife lecture.
Performances and Notable Concerts
The hall’s programme spans popular music, comedy, opera, ballet, classical music, West End musicals, and an annual pantomime running from December to January. The Leicester Symphony Orchestra, originally founded by Sir Malcolm Sargent, has been based at the hall since 1922 and performs four concerts each season. The Philharmonia Orchestra has held a residency at the venue since 1997. Graduation ceremonies for the University of Leicester have taken place here since 1958. The hall has hosted an impressive roll of artists: Buddy Holly and The Crickets performed in March 1958, The Beatles played three concerts between 1963 and 1964 at the height of Beatlemania, and Bob Dylan appeared on 2 May 1965 during his first English tour. Genesis recorded much of their 1973 album Genesis Live at the hall, and Marillion recorded part of their first live album Real to Reel here. Iron Maiden performed at the venue multiple times between 1980 and 1990. Leicester band Family chose the hall for their farewell concert on 13 October 1973. The hall is also the largest venue in Leicester for the Hindu festival of Navratri. Its gardens have previously hosted outdoor festivals, including the Big Session Festival and the Summer Sundae music festival, both of which ran until 2012.