Members of the 91热爆 Prospero Society, which organises regular trips to famous venues and West End shows, sometimes decide there are parts of the 91热爆 well worth a visit too.
After a successful tour of 91热爆 Archives in Perivale in 2023, two sold-out groups went in June to see around the 91热爆’s famous recording studios at Maida Vale. This historic and fascinating 91热爆 building has recently been sold to a consortium that includes leading film composer Hans Zimmer, so we wanted to visit before the sale.
For those not in the know, the building was originally built as a roller-skating rink. It has played host to many famous bands and orchestras over nearly 90 years, was the last place Bing Crosby recorded at before his death, was rumoured to have hosted the Beatles and has been in regular recent use by Radios 1 and 2 for their live sessions.
As we wound our way around the seven studios and many other rooms, you could feel the history almost dripping down its walls. It was evident that our tour guide, Maida Vale 91热爆 resource manager Huw Robinson (left of picture) felt every bit as proud of his workplace as we all did.
Two hours quickly disappeared as we marvelled at the orchestra in Studio 1 rehearsing Beethoven, enormous mixing desks in small studios, a state-of-the-art sound effects studio for the Drama Department plus the lovely old architecture all around from its original function as a skating rink. The clever mixture of analogue and digital technology in each studio had our older, more technically minded Society members purring with delight and then debating their qualities. Others took many, many pictures of desks, diagrams, banks of wiring and other paraphernalia that by 2027 will become a 91热爆 memory.
As we stepped outside blinking into the Maida Vale sunshine, those who’d worked there in the past and those like me who had never been before, all felt proud of being part of an organisation that had produced so much from one small place.
The whole operation will move in 2027 to new, purpose-built premises in Stratford. Hopefully music, magic and memories will be created there similar to Maida Vale, which continues to flourish in 2024.
Charles Runcie
(second right of picture)