What is Queen's Hall?
The '''Queen's Hall''' was a [[concert hall]] in Central [[London]], [[England]]. It opened in [[1893]]. It is best known for being where the [[The Proms|Promenade Concerts]] were started by Robert Newman in [[1895]]. The Queen's Hall was built because London needed a new concert hall in the centre of the town. It stood in Langham Place, just next to where [[BBC]] Broadcasting House stands today. The Queen's Hall had seating for up to 3,000 people (including the orchestra). The arena (downstairs) had removable seating. The polished floor could be used for dancing. The [[acoustics]] of the hall were excellent. There was also a smaller hall, The Queen's Small Hall, which seated 500 people. This was used for [[chamber music]]. In later years it was used as a recording studio. The [[architect]] who designed the hall was Thomas Edward Knightley. The first time The Queen's Hall was used was on 25 November 1893 when Newman gave a children's party in the afternoon. In the evening about 2000 ladies and gentlemen came to a concert given by the Band of the Coldstream Guards, which included [[vocal]] music, [[piano]] and [[pipe organ|organ]] [[solo (music)|solo]]s. At 11.00pm the seats in the arena were removed and the dancing began. The official opening of the hall took place on 2 December. On 10 August 1895 the first Promenade concert was given with [[Henry Wood]] conducting. On [[January 14]], [[1896]], the first public [[movie]] show was given at the Queen's Hall to members and wives of the Royal Photographic Society. The seats were uncomfortable because there was not enough leg room, so in 1913 and 1919 some changes were made, after which the hall could seat 2400 people. From 1930 to 1941, the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]] regularly gave broadcast concerts in the hall. [[Arturo Toscanini]], who guest conducted the orchestra during the 1930s, made some famous recordings in the Queen's Hall in the late 1930s. On 10 May [[1941]] (during the [[World War II]]) the [[Royal Choral Society]] gave a concert