Walthamstow Assembly Hall WAH17

Frightened Rabbit Headline act at Lake of Stars Image courtesy of Louise Hall

A MUSICAL TR E A S U R E

A Grade II listed arts, live music and recording venue in Walthamstow, London.

IN T HE HE A RT OF WA LT H A MS TO W Designed in 1932 by P.D. Hepworth, Walthamstow Assembly Hall was completed during the war in 1943.

The hall was opened shortly before the Baby Blitz, hosting classical music concerts, operas and ballets as the bombs fell.

With its stunning gold doors and William Morris quote “Fellowship is Life and the Lack of Fellowship

is Death” emblazoned across the front. It was a beacon of hope.

Home to the Forest Philharmonic, Lake of Stars festival and the London Symphony Orchestra.

WAH17 is a unique venue in one of the greatest music cities in the world – easily reached from Central London by tube and train.

M AGIC A L ACOUS T ICS

Since the art of creating a great concert hall seems almost as mysterious as making a Stradivarius‌ it is no surprise that they are often discovered in the unlikeliest places.

Julian Lloyd Webber

TH E G O LD EN A G E O F STE R E O Some of the first stereo recordings and finest records ever produced were made at WAH17 where Decca engineer John Culshaw discovered its outstanding acoustics.

Performers were moved around the ‘chess-board’ (pictured overleaf) in order to create a ‘theatre of the mind’. Records made at WAH17 include

Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece ‘Peter Grimes’. Other legendary performers to record at the hall include Julie Andrews who recorded the musical Rose Marie in 1958, Leonard Bernstein, who wrote the music for West Side Story and Eileen Joyce who played the famous Rachmaninoff music from Brief Encounter.

Benjamin Britten recording ‘Peter Grimes’ / Decca

Image courtesy of Decca Music Group Limited

Image: Nationaal Archief, the Dutch National Archives

R E B I RTH O F A VENUE The Rolling Stones played WAH17 on their first ever UK tour, while Tony Wilson from Factory Records returned to watch the Sex Pistols perform at WAH after their legendary Lesser Free Trade Hall gig.

Other notable British acts to grace the WAH17 stage include: The Stranglers, Iron Maiden, New Order, Bauhaus, Sandy Denny, Ronnie Scott, The Wedding Present and Hawkwind.

WA H17 - T HE R EBIR T H OF A V ENUE WAH17 H17 - T HE R EBIRT H OF A V ENUE WA The versatile space has a capacity of 1400, made up of 1172 standing downstairs and 228 seating/standing in the The balcony. versatile space has a capacity of 1400, made up of y 1172Capacit standing downstairs and a ximum Overall: 1400 228 Mseating/standing in the Downstairs Theatre St yle Seating: 900 balcony.

Balcony Seating: 228 Standing Downstairs: 1172 Capacit y Foyer Area 1400 M a ximum Overall: 2 x Ticket Booths Downstairs Theatre St yle Seating: 900 Jubilee Room + Projector: 80 Standing Balcony Seating: 228 3 x Modern Bathrooms Standing Downstairs: 1172 Main Foyer AreaHall Main Booths Bar and Pop Up Bar 2 x Ticket Lighting System80 Standing Jubilee Room & + PA Projector: 3 x Modern Bathrooms Grand Piano (Onstage) Cloak room Main Hall M ain Back Bar and Pop Up Bar stage Lighting & PA System Modern Industrial Kitchen GrandMPiano (Onstage) ale and Female Dressing Room CloakLroom arge Backstage Green Room Back stage Modern Industrial Kitchen M ale and Female Dressing Room L arge Backstage Green Room

For more information contact the Forest Venues team on: venues@walthamforest.gov.uk / 020 8496 8018 wah17.co.uk / abforestvenues / #wah17